The Cardinal Rule~

Mar14

Is that I have seen only one cardinal,

ever.

The first was in Buenos Aires.

Meet Cardinal number two!

I met him at The Superstition Mountains in Arizona.

He was a rare finding and was quite sociable.

Of course I didn’t have my good bird zoom lens, but he’s so handsome, it almost doesn’t matter.

Cheers to you from my second Cardinal in Arizona~

196 thoughts on “The Cardinal Rule~”

  4. Come to NC. They are everywhere. Several mating pairs live in my yard.

    I think there is a type of Desert Cardinal in the Southwest and a Vermillion Cardinal in Argentina? 🤔

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  17. Last time I saw a cardinal was in Michigan. I’ve lived in Arizona for a decade and haven’t laid eyes on a cardinal. Seen lots of crows, owls, and hawks though! 😀

    Cute lil guy! Great photos!

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  25. Despite our baseball team being the Cardinals, I never thought about cardinals being here in Arizona! They were my grandmother’s favorite bird and in Nebraska we’d occasionally see them, if the blue jays weren’t dominating the feeder…

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    • I asked a local and he said he has only seen a cardinal once is the past seven years! Apparently are rather rarely seen. This guy was very friendly. There seemed to be seed scattered about which I didn’t put there, so this may explain his friendliness დ

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  26. This is only the second Cardinal you’ve seen?? Oh, Cindy, you need to come visit me now — we’ve got all kinds of Cardinals (males as well as their mates), just hanging around the yard. I love listening to their songs, and catching a glimpse of that brilliant red color is a true treat!

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  28. It’s interesting how our minds are drawn to novelty! In most of the Eastern US, Cardinals are so numerous and ubiquitous, many of us forget on a daily basis how stunning they are. And yet when we head to the Southwest and see the much more drab Pyrrhuloxia, we get all excited. LOL! Glad you got to see another of these pretty birds that’s the state birds of many states ❤️

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    • Yes! This reminds me of being in South Africa and getting excited over the crocodiles sunning on the banks. I voiced this, and a local lady said to me, “Well, they are very common.”
      I replied, “Your common is my exotic!” დ

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  29. Gorgeous photos of a glorious bird, congrats Cindy. We had them in a front yard tree, I heard their sweet song before I saw the Cardinals and put two and two together. I wonder if your Cardinal is a migrator? Here, they do not migrate and stay all winter long. I can’t imagine Arizona in August being prime habitat for your lovely guy?

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      • It is a spectacular mountain range with an interesting history. I am so excited for you! A beautiful time of year to visit. 🥰 So much to see and do! I look forward to more of your shares!

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        • I am getting the hang about how to photograph here. It is no where near as easy as it looks at all. The sun is everything here. I have been throwing out so many photos that I thought were in perfect light, but the topography is so unique, it requires a lot of practice at different times of the day, and at different distances, to see what works. We are hiking everyday. There are so many trails! I am having SO MUCH fun learning in Arizona! You are lucky to live here დ

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          • I am delighted by your email. Thank you for sharing, Cindy. Right you are – no avoiding the sun here! Photography is a soul-enriching hobby for me, and I am always learning something. Part of the appeal, I suppose. Golden hour truly is golden here and clouds are a blessing! Yes, there are many wonderful trails and lakes too, surprisingly. You probably don’t have time on this trip, but Tucson also has gorgeous trails and Sabino Canyon is a must see. Picacho Peak State Park is on the way there, and I imagine there are wildflowers now, with the rains we had. They won’t last long, but if there, they are gorgeous. Anyway… I could go on! 😁 I am fortunate, thank you. Starting in June I sing a different tune! 🥵Enjoy! 🌵

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  33. Hi Cindy – thanks for posting pictures of one of my favorite birds. We have cardinals where we live, although they don’t come out all the time. The male is always so bright in color, but in seeing the female, I’ve grown to appreciate her muted feathers and regal look.

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  35. Cute! They live around our house too 😆
    One day, I saw that he was attacking my truck’s window over and over 😂💕
    And of course, I didn’t have my phone or camera that moment.
    They have such amazing voice, do they😍?

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  38. He is handsomely red 🙂

    I do not think I have seen one or especially male cardinal yet this year. Spring just started and I think I will be seeing them more soon.

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  40. Native American lore states if a cardinal is seen, it is believed that individual will have good luck within 12 days of the sighting. Counting down for you!

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  42. Your photos (zoom lens or not) reflect so much hope and happiness from the cardinal! It reminds me of Emily Dickinson’s
    “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
    And sings the tunes without the words
    And never stops at all.”

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  43. Beautiful captures, Cindy. They are gorgeous birds and I’ve read that they are expanding their range from the Southeast. Rarely seen when I was a kid, they are now quite common here in the Northeast. Stunning to see on a wintery day peering out of an evergreen hedge. 🙂

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  46. What a beautiful bird and with that bright red feather colouring, must be easy to spot (when you’re in the right location).

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  54. They are such a beautiful rich color Cindy, he looks incredible. I take it they don’t normally live in your area and you just had to ‘grab’ a photograph with whatever you had…and did it well 😀 ❤️ 🙏🏽 🦋

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    • So nice of you Mark. And you are right. I didn’t have my bird camera, but that is ego, I interacted with the bird, and that was what was so very special. Thank you for knowing this დ

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    • He was so friendly too. It is one of those dumbfounded, slowly lift up your camera, remove the lens cap quietly, shoot before you can think, moments. Awesome! დ

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  56. I have met lots of your cardinal number 1’s, but have only once seen one cardinal bird. It was in North Carolina. I was so excited! They are certainly not into camouflage!

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  63. I haven’t seen a cardinal ever. My dad saw them while he was growing up in the Lower Arkansas Valley, here in Colorado. That was in the 1930s and 1940s. I don’t know if they changed their range. Habitat wise, not likely. It was agriculture then, agriculture now

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    • It sounds like seeing them had an impact on your Dad, and on you. It was an amazing and totally unexpected experience, almost as surprising as the one I saw in Buenos Aires დ

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  67. Congratulations on #2, Cindy. I hope he won’t be the last one. As someone who also doesn’t live in an area where cardinals occur, I think seeing once will always be special. 🐦

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  69. My goodness, you have only seen two cardinals? I will never take cardinals for granted again. They are especially brilliant when silhouetted against the snow up here in New England. They often nest in the bushes and trees by our house.

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  71. Hi Cindy, I have the male and female who hang in my front garden. i see them from my living room window.. they are both striking. … have you seen the female?

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  73. We have a pair of cardinals who visit our yard annually, nesting nearby. In addition to how beautiful they are, their song is very distinct & lovely to listen to.

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