By: Sally Siko
It’s springtime and love is in the air.
At least so it goes with this pair of Northern Cardinals I spotted while birding last week near Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro NC.
It was so sweet to see the male fly in and land on a branch next to his mate to present her with a juicy green caterpillar.
A tender moment of bird wooing to be sure but is actually part of of an array of elaborate courtship rituals that the couple engages in year after year to strengthen their bond.
Our official state bird, the Northern Cardinal is a year round resident of North Carolina and are found in every county from the coast to the mountains foraging for a meal in areas of dense brushy undergrowth or in hedges.Cardinals are of course a familiar backyard visitor too. They usually are seen on the ground below our feeders picking at the fallen seed.
Though they’re indeed numerous, I still enjoy photographing them whenever possible. That color is irresistible to me from a creative perspective. Plus, whenever I see a Cardinal I’m reminded how important it is not to take a moment (or a bird) like this for granted. After all, Cardinals may be common around here, yet they are someone else’s Life Bird in other locations. Thus seeing one is extra special anyway one looks at it 🙂
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa#5Ds