Elusive female Cardinal bathes and preens

My backyard pond provides a protected, comfortable and natural environment for my neighbourhood critters. Birds, in particular, love to bathe in my waterfall/pond. Lots of sparrows, chickadees and blackbirds, but today - it’s a pair of cardinals! The bright red male sits high atop a telephone pole, keeping lookout while his female partner takes some Me time to freshen up.

Female cardinals - unlike the bold red of their male counterparts - are known for their subtler, pale brown coloring with gentle reddish tips on the crest, tail and on their wings. They have the same color of bill and the same black face mask.

Normally, pairs of cardinals stay together throughout the year and may breed for several seasons. They live an average of one year although there have been records of longer life spans.