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I never cease to be surprised at the unexpected twists and turns of nature.

Red Cardinals are frequent winter visitors here. They are known to dislike hot, humid conditions and often migrate northwards in summer to cooler parts of the continent. They also are known for not visiting feeders as a male and female pair preferring to dine seperately!

Imagine my surprise then when this evening at the hottest time of the day around 5pm with the temperature over 90 degrees to see a pair of Red Cardinals arriving to eat together!

What had caused them (a) to stay in the sticky heat of a PA summer and (b) to break all the 'Cardinal' rules and eat together?

Who knows - but they are a very welcome if unexpected pair.

They did, however, spend quite a long time splashing around in the birdbath!

Attached files

COULD IT BE LOVE... !! :-4 :-4

What a beautiful bird..

Thank you. I haven't seen a cardinal for about 15 years. I forgot.

and I "never cease to be surprised" with the quality and variety of your photos, Eagle. Many thanks once again!

Yes a beautiful picture I agree! Cardinals are very special to me! I must say however that here in St. Louis MO they are everywhere ALL the time--year round. Just everywhere! We are known to be very humid/hot here too. I do see the males/females together a lot and they have so much personality. They come very close to us, even sit atop the swingset while children are playing on it! I have even seen them sitting on my deck looking in my window! They are so beautiful and I have heard that they pick a mate and stay w/ it for life. Wonder if this is true? PS...In winter it is common to see 4 or 5 on the feeder at same time, males and females together.

Yeah! If they are up there, then they are not too far from me, they should be coming around Baltimore soon too. We have plenty of robins, and starlings, and blackbirds, and Canadian geese, and loads of cuties. But I do think the cardinals are admirable for they beauty.