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August 31, 2007
Friday Feathers
The ever elusive Northern Cardinal must really enjoy watching me chase it with my camera. No matter how many photographs I've taken of it I'm still not satisfied. Last weekend I saw a family of cardinals and most were females. The female's feathers are a washed out red, almost pink, but the male cardinal's attire is a beautiful deep red. I'm still trying to get a single "oh wow!" shot of the male.
I've pursued the male cardinal since April 2003, when I was in upstate New York and happened to see one sitting in tree. That first photographic effort was without fancy telephoto lenses or equipment. I snapped it with my then trusty Sony DSC-85 (which I still have, btw.) This is that very first snapshot. I think I'll take a nap while I wait for you to find the bird. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Find it yet? I digress. :-)
It's four years later and I'm still pursuing this bird. To date, none of my cardinal shots are oh wows -- it's more like oh whatever. In my latest attempt I wasn't even trying to photograph a bird; I was busy photographing berries when a female cardinal flew right into my shot. She perched herself onto a branch and dipped her head to eat.
Here's a closeup.
Even though it's not the male cardinal I still (kind of) like these photos -- my critique of the photo is that it's okay, not "oh wow!" However, the vantage point is different, and that's what I like about the photo.
Cindy
Comments
that is a great close-up shot, but as you say, not an 'oh wow!' one. better than i could do though - if we had any colourful birds in this freezing country.
Brain matter deposited by: zed on August 31, 2007 7:30 AM
Cardinals are the poodle of the bird world. Hyper, over-caffeinated, paranoid...
Brain matter deposited by: Ted on August 31, 2007 11:02 AM
Last time I was in Kentucky I tried several times to catch a shot of a Cardinal in my hosts garden - not a single usable shot!
Brain matter deposited by: The Gray Monk on September 1, 2007 1:45 PM
....it all foretells that female Hillary will win the presidency in 2008. Must be.
Brain matter deposited by: RONW on September 2, 2007 5:48 AM