Who’s that hiding in the butterfly bush?

It’s Mr. Cardinal! We have several red birds that visit our yard, but I think the cardinals might be my favourite.

The just stand out so much in the cold, wintery landscape. I find the cardinals here are quite shy. At the townhouse, I could get much closer to them, but here they take off as soon as they notice me.

Like most of the bird pictures I’ve shared lately, these were taken from inside the house, through the window. It means the pics are a touch less crisp than if I was outside, but there’s also less chance my subjects get spooked and fly off.

And while I love the male cardinals… I REALLY love the female cardinals.

While she might not be as bright as her male counterpart, no one could call her boring.

I think the way the her yellow body contrasts with the red on her wings, and her bright orange beak is just so elegant. She’s a true beauty.

While much smaller, the male house finches certainly still catch your eye.

Their female counterparts don’t have any colour…

But they are such lovely, delicate little creatures.

Did you know that House Finches are not native to this area? They often get confused with the native Purple Finch (which is red, not purple), but House Finches are native to the western United States and Mexico. In 1940, New York pet stores were selling them illegally, and they released caged house finches iy to avoid wildlife officer raids. The first house finch reported in Ontario was in 1970, and the first breeding was reported 1978. Now they are a common sight throughout the province.

And they are a very common sight at my feeders.

And this little guy isn’t quite red… but he is rosey

He’s a Rose Breasted Nuthatch. They were a common site at the townhouse, but less so here. I saw this guy hopping through the tree outside my window one day, then got these pictures of him at the feeder a few days later. But I haven’t seen him since.

Regardless, he was a very welcome visitor.

What red birds visit your yard?