Irritated cardinal?

February 27, 2021 by Mike Powell

I couldn’t help but feel that this male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was irritated with me when he glared sideways at me as he momentarily ceased his pecking at water’s edge on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. On the other hand, he might have simply been trying to pose in a way that minimized his double chin, about which he was very self-conscious. Have I committed a cardinal sin in my initial assessment?

What do you think? Have a wonderful weekend.

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Canon 50D, Cardinalis cardinalis, male Northern Cardinal, Northern cardinal, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | 21 Comments

21 Responses

on February 27, 2021 at 6:43 am | Reply Patricia M Osborne

I love this. I think he turned away quite annoyed that you interrupted him. lol.
- on February 27, 2021 at 6:51 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  It’s always dangerous, but a lot of fun to creatively impute motives and emotions on the wild creatures that I love to photograph.
on February 27, 2021 at 6:59 am | Reply Irritated cardinal? By Mike Powell | On Earth as in Heaven

[…] Irritated cardinal? […]
on February 27, 2021 at 7:02 am | Reply Roger Hovis

Great photo and comment, I had to share.!
- on February 27, 2021 at 7:07 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for the reblog. I have a quirky sense of humor that sometimes comes across in my blog postings. When I sit down at my computer in the morning, I have usually decided what photo(s) I will use, but I often don’t know what I will say about them until I start typing. Once I am finished, I hit publish immediately. I have some friends who pre-write their posts and agonize over their words–mine tend to be more stream of consciousness. 🙂
on February 27, 2021 at 9:32 am | Reply Jazz Jaeschke

You caught his attention for sure … he looks a bit indignant, as if his privacy has been invaded. Or maybe that’s a come-on dare to prove he’s more agile than a wingless human? GREAT shot.
- on February 27, 2021 at 9:49 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Jazz. He definitely was more nimble than I was. I had to chase after him quite a bit before he perched and looked my way.
on February 27, 2021 at 10:16 am | Reply Louella Lester

Love it!
on February 27, 2021 at 3:17 pm | Reply Birder's Journey

HAHA! He most certainly does seem to be glaring at you, Mike! What a handsome guy he is….perhaps it was just an attempt at a debonair pose?
- on February 27, 2021 at 5:11 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I like that last thought. Folks tend to do odd things when you ask them to strike pose, so why wouldn’t birds do the same thing?
on February 27, 2021 at 5:33 pm | Reply Dan Antion

Maybe, but it’s a good pic.
- on February 27, 2021 at 5:41 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Dan.
on February 27, 2021 at 8:39 pm | Reply Eliza Waters

‘Darned paparazzi!’ 😀
on February 27, 2021 at 10:01 pm | Reply Suzanne- Happily Decluttered

Your post made me laugh today! He does look annoyed. 😀
- on February 28, 2021 at 7:39 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for your comment, Suzanne. As you can tell from the tone of the posting, it was deliberately designed to be silly enough to prompt smiles and maybe a laugh. We all need more laughter in our lives, especially during these pandemic times when we all seem extra-stressed.
  - on February 28, 2021 at 11:58 am Suzanne- Happily Decluttered
    
    That is for sure! 😀
on March 3, 2021 at 2:41 am | Reply Ms. Liz

Greatly taken with both the bird and the term “cardinal sin”. I mean I’m familiar with the term but don’t come across it much. AND, we usually picture sin as black! So I’ve just recalled and looked up the Bible verse about our sins being like scarlet and here it is from BibleGateway: NIV Isaiah 1:18 “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” And because I obsess about colour I found this fascinating and I’m sitting here smiling broadly 🙂
- on March 3, 2021 at 6:39 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Liz. I am really thrilled if I can make someone smile or make them think with a posting. What that means to me is that the reader spent more than just a split-second looking at my pretty pictures and actually read my words. 🙂
on March 4, 2021 at 3:14 pm | Reply Molly Lin Dutina

Been glancing for a few days. but a bit overwhelmed here with my life. I think he’s saying “What cha’ looking at buddy?” Yes, likely irritated!
- on March 4, 2021 at 6:34 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  You are under a lot of stress, Molly. It is completely normal for you to feel overwhelmed at times. Be sure to take care of yourself. 🙂
  - on March 4, 2021 at 7:39 pm Molly Lin Dutina
    
    Thank you!