Scribbles From the Margen

The Male Cardinal: What a Romantic!

He woos the women while chasing off male competitors who dare enter his territory.

I've been enjoying what I think is a greater number of cardinals this year than I recall seeing in past years. And because of some behavior I observed earlier this month that piqued my interest, I have actually done some reading about their habits and mating traditions. I was photographing a male cardinal that was feasting at a feeder in a friend's backyard. He would eat for a moment, fly off, then come back almost immediately and repeat the cycle. At first, I thought my presence at the sliding glass door was making him skittish. Then I wondered if perhaps male cardinals assist in raising the babies, and thought maybe he was returning to the nest with food for the family. So I started watching to see where he was flying off to, knowing …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (4)