Not my Photo
In the three years I lived in my rental house just north of where I live now, I saw a red Cardinal bird one time. I had previously lived just down the road and used to feed many cardinals, but for some reason, the rental had none. No matter what I did I couldn’t get a Cardinal to visit, but now I have them again. I don’t know why this makes me so happy, but it does.
Before my life fell apart and I lost my home, I counted birds for Project Feeder Watch and loved doing so. I learned the names of new birds as they visited my yard and helped science in the meantime. It was while I lived there that I became used to the chipping sound the Cardinal makes and hadn’t heard it in years until just about a week ago.
I was working at my desk which looks out to the front yard, and there is the little pine tree outside the window was a bright red Cardinal! And there was no food out for him! Right away I added a feeder to the tree and scattered black oil sunflower seeds on the ground (where the Cardinals prefer to eat) and sure enough, I now get them regularly. Each morning, as it’s just getting light – around 6:30, I hear their chipping outside my office window, so I make sure to scatter seed out there the night before. Then they get to eat before all the squirrels and bluejays gobble it up.
The top picture is not mine – I take horrible animal photos – but the bottom one is. The little girl Cardinal sat happily eating seeds from my favorite hopper feeder long enough for me to get a shot of her.
How Beautiful!
Related articles
- Feeding Wildlife: Squirrels Getting Fat on Bird Seed (newenglandsnarrowroad.wordpress.com)
- Project FeederWatch (paulasgardenpatch.com)
- The High Cost Of Feeding (abirdersnotebook.wordpress.com)
New England's Narrow Road 
E. Baron
Lovely… It’s always such a gift to be visited by such beautiful birds. My all-time favorite is when the white-throated sparrows arrive in the spring, with their hauntingly beautiful song. At this time of year, I seem to be seeing the dark-eyed junkos, in great flocks. Glad you’re settling into your new digs so nicely.
Eleanor
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Dustytoes
I think the Juncos are wondering if it really is winter with all this unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having! It’s nice to hear from you Eleanor.
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swisstoons
There are only two birds in my neighborhood whose call are, for me, unmistakable (three, if you count the occasional crows). There’s the bandit Blue Jay (SCRAW SCRAW SCRAW!)…and the sweet Cardinals (woot woot woot woot…woot toooo…woot toooo!). That’s the extent of my bird call repertoire. I’ve heard that there are regional accents for the same species depending on location. What do yours sound like?
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Dustytoes
The bluejays are loud squawkers and the Cardinals mainly do little chip, chip, chip noises and that is how I know they are outside. I hear them more often than see them, since they come when it’s just getting light in the AM or after it’s dark in the PM. I think they sing mostly in the Spring. It’s been so long since I’ve had them around that I’ve forgotten.
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