Flashes of beauty and color make birds a welcome sight as spring unfolds with their songs and activity. And wow, are they busy right now! At Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most recognizable birds, the Northern cardinal, swoops in for a graceful landing. Common in brushy habitats, and found throughout a lot of the eastern U.S., cardinals can be seen while hopping around on the ground looking for larvae, seeds, berries, or visiting feeders. Both male and female cardinals have crests and masks, but male cardinals are a deep vermillion red, whereas the females have rose-colored blush accenting their wings, tail, face and crest. What are the birds up to where you are? We want to know! Photo by Linda Webster (www.sharetheexperience.org).
