Well, if I thought yesterday was a long work day.... today was even longer.... I started it at 8am and my last meeting of the day didn't end until 7pm. I truly hope these hours are not the new norm because I don't think I can handle this for an extensive period of time. 

Here it is 9:30pm and I am just getting started on my blog, even though I am tired and had considered skipping for today. However, after a quick scroll through some photos, I found one I would like to share. It is of a male cardinal, one of my favorite birds that I get to see year round. Naturally, my favorite time to see them is in winter when we have a fresh coat of snow on the ground and the tree branches. The vibrant red of the male cardinal is a stunning contrast with the beautiful/twinkling white snow. But, another thing I really like about them is how they are always the last birds to hit up my feeders. I noticed this at camp several years ago and they have been consistent ever since. It's a nice fact to know during camping season because I have to bring the feeders in at night since we do have a bear who likes to make his rounds in search of food. Knowing that they are the last ones to show up leaves me feeling confident that I can bring my feeders in after they leave and not leave any of the birds out.

The northern cardinal is known by so many different names: red cardinal, common cardinal, redbird, or just simply a cardinal. They can be found in North America and in parts of South America and their habitant includes: gardens, shrublands, wetlands, and woodlands. Like most birds, the male is prettier with a vibrant red coloring while the female has a reddish olive color. They eat insects, seeds, and fruit. Cardinals are stunning feathered friends to visit feeders in the back yard. They tend to have two to four clutches per year and each clutch generally has three to four eggs. 

Here is a male cardinal I had the pleasure to photograph at my campsite in the Adirondack Mountains!

CardinalA male cardinal with a seed in his mouth at my campsite in the Adirondack Mountains. This image was taken by Debbie Quick from Debs Creative Images.