I am not sure exactly what this male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was doing on Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge when I captured this image. Perhaps he was trying to nibble on a bud on the branch on which he was perched—it was definitely too cold for there to be bugs out in the open. Whatever the case, I love the way that the cardinal extended his wings to maintain his balance.
The acrobatic moves of the cardinal and my shooting angle from below combined to distort the shape of his body, making it look almost cartoonish. All in all, this image makes me smile and I hope that it has the same effect on you.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
This Red Cardinal 😍 I saw so many red Cardinals. Anita
What a great pose!
Great shot! It is definitely a make you smile type photo.
Thanks. I’m happy to see that I am not the only one who smiles at photos like this one. 🙂
That is a terrific capture, Mike!
Thanks, Mitzy. I was pretty fortunate to capture that precise moment. 🙂