Christmas cardinal

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Christmas cardinal

December 25, 2012 by Mike Powell

Deep inside a bush with red berries, a male Northern Cardinal was almost camouflaged, most of his body a dusty red that blended in with his surroundings. His head, though, was a bright red, a defiant red that refused to be hidden. For me, it’s like the true meaning of Christmas, that is often camouflaged with bright lights and tinsel. My simple prayer today is one that we sang at a Christmas Eve service last night, Dona nobis pacem (Grant us peace). Peace to all this Christmas day and in the coming new year.

Posted in Birds, Christmas, commentary, Nature, Photography | Tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, Christmas, Dona Nobic, Huntley Meadows Park, Northern cardinal | 9 Comments

9 Responses

on December 25, 2012 at 7:10 am | Reply Ed

Great shot and a Happy Christmas to you and your family..:-))
- on December 25, 2012 at 8:34 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Ed, and best wishes for a blessed Christmas for you and yours.
on December 25, 2012 at 9:19 am | Reply New Hampshire Gardener

Beautiful!
on December 25, 2012 at 10:49 am | Reply cindydyer

Lovely post, Michael—both visually and literary! Merry Christmas! Thank you for taking such good care of our fur babies!
on December 25, 2012 at 11:49 am | Reply Vicki

wonderful! Merry Christmas to you.
on December 25, 2012 at 11:57 am | Reply lylekrahn

Well said.
on December 25, 2012 at 9:17 pm | Reply Sue

Great shot, Mike!
on December 25, 2012 at 9:54 pm | Reply Jeremy Sell

Your bird photos as of late are getting pretty spectacular.
- on December 26, 2012 at 5:02 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. In this case, I used manual focusing for this shot, which I find to be challenging with a DSLR. The disappearance of most of the leaves has made it easier to spot the birds and they seem a little less skittish in the colder weather. I am also pretty persistent.