Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Cardinal

It’s time to find a mate. I caught this pretty fellow plucking a worm or grub off the tree.

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I’m so used to seeing them at the feeder, I almost didn’t get a picture of him with his prize.

I put up this “squirrel proof” feeder a few weeks ago. They love it…the squirrels must love it too…they keep trying to get at the feed but end up shooting right off. Remember the fun you used to have, sliding downhill on your bellies in the snow? Well…this one works like that..without the snow. Scroll down to past posts to see the short video.

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It did take the Cardinals a few tries to figure it out. They have to fly up under the overhang, but it’s a nice dry place to sit and eat. The Titmice, a much smaller bird, had no trouble the first time. I had 8 blackbirds here this morning and none of them could figure it out. They finally left. I will be interested to see how they make out when the big flock shows up. They used to empty the feeder in a short time.

He’s still hunting for treats for his lady.Cardinal 002cs

They stay here all year around, kind of  like good friends. They sure add a lot of color to the area.

11 comments:

  1. Carol, he is a beauty! I love the vivid colors in your photos, and he really stands out against the foliage.

    I've wondered about raising the mealworms myself. For now I've been buying them about every two weeks. What's involved in raising them?

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  2. Here's a link that might be helpful. http://efinch.com/mealworms/mealworm.htm
    It's been awhile since I raised them. This describes it pretty well. I guess it depends on how many you feed

    www.wildlifearoundus.blogspot.com

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  3. That feeder has paid for itself. You've gotten so much fun out of it! The picture of the cardinal on the tree is great. It's always fun to catch a bird with food in his mouth.

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  4. Carol, I smile every single time i see a male Cardinal. WELL---I love the females also.

    Great pictures.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  5. The cardinal is so beautiful, especially against the greenery. What a nice squirrel-proof feeder full of seeds! In the desert where I live, we don't have tree squirrels getting into the bird feeders. We only have little ground squirrels. I used to live where there were tree squirrels and they were fun to watch. :)

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  6. I must try a feeder like this. The big birds and the squirrels just clean out my regular feeders in no time.
    I too am a Cardinal fan!
    Sherry

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  7. Just passing through and stopped to admire your blog and especially the photos. Your bird list is very different than mine here in Utah. Thanks for sharing your interests.

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  8. I love the vibrant red of the cardinal. Your peacock photos in the previous post are beautiful as well. I have some peacock photos coming up here real soon (haven't finished editting them all yet though).

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and for following it. I enjoy getting to know people even if it is an alternate reality. I'm adding you to my list on google reader as well. Oh yeah and thanks for the tip about the profotio website. I'm checking it out and it looks promising.

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  9. Love the Cardinals. Wish we had them here. I might have to try one of those feeders. The Grackles have found a way to get into everything I try. They even learned how to fly up and cling a few seconds at a time to an upside down suet feeder!

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  10. I'm so glad your feeder is working out for you!
    With the cost of the seed, it gets very expensive when the squirrels devour it!

    Your cardinal is a beauty, you're fortunate he visits you so often. Very nice shots, Carol!!

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  11. Carol,I love your Cardinal Images. That's one Bird i intent photograph in the near future.
    John.

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