Photography : Birds : the Seed Cafe
A female cardinal pauses in her meal to give me "the eye" (and "the crest") during an East Coast Winter, while behind her a sparrow continues with his meal. Male cardinals have a bold crimson and sable coloration, while females are umber and ash gray with highlights of maroon and black. Perhaps this helps them blend in with their nest better, or perhaps it is because the male cardinals must compete to get the female cardinals' attention.
