Female cardinal and female house sparrow
A friend gave me a beautiful birdbath for Christmas this year, which I will enjoy tremendously -- after the winter thaw! Though it's too cold to use the birdbath now, I have a feeder outside my kitchen window and am constantly checking to see if any birds are out there. When they visit, the female cardinal stays the longest, followed by the male cardinal, house sparrows and chickadees. I keep a camera on the windowsill and have taken many pictures of my feathered friends!
Today, like many other days, I am drinking tea to stay warm. I have a nice variety of wonderful teas and always seem to have a cup brewing. As the tea seeps I wait by the window. Once again I hear the distinct "chip, chip" of the cardinal. A beautiful red male appears at the feeder, happily eating and unaware that I am taking yet another picture of him!
The sun comes out and lights up the feeder as well as the markings on the birds! I have seen up to four birds at a time at the feeder and many tracks in the snow beneath. Nothing goes to waste during this time of winter scarcity.
