Northern Cardinal

Now considered a Maine local, the female Northern Cardinals wings have a warm reddish tinge to them and the male is striking in his red suit.

Two song sparrows arrived on the seventeenth and joined the chorus of House finches, Pine finches, Gold finches, Titmice and Cardinals.

There have been some definite rays of sunlight over the last two weeks however, with pockets of migrants here and there, and our Robins and Cardinals are singing right through dusk most every day now.

Through January our backyard feeders continue to attract solid numbers of House Finch, Tufted Titmice, Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied woodpeckers and Cardinals.

Many local woodland species have been singing across Cape Elizabeth such as Tufted Titmice, Black-capped Chickadees, House Finches, Song Sparrows, Northern Cardinals and even Carolina Wrens.

Noticing the way the low-angled sun cast shadows on five crimson males and three female Northern Cardinals (including one leucitic bird) dining on black sunflower seeds.

Additionally, a leucitic female Cardinal that first showed up over a year ago still visits our backyard regularly and on December 10 the first Red-breasted Nuthatch of the season appeared on our suet.

Across town Northern Cardinals began singing their sweet songs and on Wells Road I heard my first Red-winged Blackbird calling on February 23.

Interestingly, Cornell’s Merlin app stated that the calls were coming from a Cardinal and/or a Titmouse, but it sounded nothing like either bird and I had a strong hunch that it was something different.

White-throated Sparrows scratching, Cardinals glowing, Goldfinches clinging, Carolina Wrens creeping, House Finches and Chickadees singing, White Breasted Nuthatches whacking, Titmice fluttering, Doves perching and Bluebirds squabbling.