I looked up at her from below and then she cocked her head and looked down at me. Our eyes met and we shared a brief, magical moment together. Then it was over, my all-too-short encounter with a beautiful female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
It’s funny how some birds and animals seem as interested in us as we are in them. I’ve had chipmunks run along ahead of me and then turn and sit quietly, over and over, so they could watch me approach.