The other day Bill and I were outside looking at the gardens and cursing whatever creature had the nerve to chomp two baby tomato plants. Well, Bill was doing the cursing. I was sipping my coffee like a civilized person and listening to all the different birds chirping in the surrounding trees.
And then I saw a flash of red go by me and into the overgrown hedge that leans into our yard from our neighbor's yard. I heard movement in there - a busy fluttery sound - and as I stared at the branches, I figured out what was going on.
The flash of red was a father cardinal, and he had brought a snack to the baby cardinal that was hiding amid the branches.
A baby cardinal! I've never seen one (outside of a book). I edged away slowly and then ran across they yard toward the house. Had to get my camera. (I didn't run with the coffee - I left that next to the garden.)
I ran back and then stopped and crept around to where I'd been standing before. The baby was still there.
He was, however, a bit camera shy, so I only got a couple of shots before he skittered up into higher branches, jumping and flapping his little wings as he went.
But anyway, here's what I got:
See that little smudge of brown (yeah - amid all the brown branches) in the middle upper third of the picture? No? Well maybe this is a better shot...
Can you see him? He's looking at the camera, and you can see the yellow line of his beak.
Here, I'll mess around with the photo a bit...
See him? (or her, of course) You can even see the beginnings of a crest on top of his little head.
Sigh.
Anyway, I snapped one more picture after this one, but he was already turning to leave at that point and there's not much to see. After that - he was gone.
But still. I'm so happy I got to see this little guy!
I love spring.
