There may not have been much snow on Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but the whole world was a whiter shade of pale at water’s edge, except for this handsome male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
We’re sleet and snow covered this morning here on the Gulf Coast, and the cardinal who’s hopping around looks just as spiffy as yours!
The weather in Texas seems crazy at the moment–I can’t believe how low the temperatures have dropped there. Stay warm and stay safe.
Had 6 in the woods yesterday with the snow as a backdrop. Though I could not get a camera on them.
Cardinals in the snow are an iconic image that I love to try to get, but we have not had the right combination of snow and cardinals at the same moment. Seeing that bright red color, though, brings a smile to my face, even when I don’t get a shot.
What a stunning photograph. I love the way the background is very muted, pretty much monochromatic, so that the brilliant red of the cardinal really pops but I also really like the visual texture of the wood the bird is standing on.
Thanks, Laura. Uncluttered backdrops for a subject are good, but it is much more visually interesting when there is an added element of visual interest, like the texture of the log in this particular case. I was really hoping the cardinal would hop up onto the log and was absolutely thrilled (or as you might say “chuffed”) when he did so.
What a striking photo!! I love the contrast of the cardinal with his surroundings. One might think you have special powers of persuasion over this bird to get him to pose like that. Thank you!
Thanks. I confess that I sometimes telepathically try to will a bird to pose on a particular perch, but it rarely works. Usually I have to keep chasing after a bird and react really quickly when it lands in a nice spot like this. This was the only shot of this cardinal that I got with him looking in a good direction. 🙂
Very colorful Mike! Really stands out from the background!
Very nice shot Mike!
Amazing how a tiny detail can make an impression, I love the little backlit leaf that complements the bird. Lovely pic, and I’ve shared on twitter.
Cardinals are striking but especially in this setting.
They don’t camouflage themselves very well, Chris, do they? 🙂
No, that’s not their thing!
What a handsome little guy, I love seeing them in winter.
We need those bright colors, Dan. After a brief period when we actually had some sunshine, we are now back in the midst of a spell of cold, cloudy days.
Handsome portrait, Mike!
A really stunning shot of this gorgeous well-fed cardinal, Mike!