Often, when a male Cardinal is spotted during TDSB walks, I hear loud oohs and aahs.
Such a stunning silhouette! Ravishing colour! Once a visitor from northern Quebec saw one in my backyard and exclaimed “Why don’t we have these at home? We pay our taxes!”
During a recent visit to Lynde Shores near Whitby, I photographed this male:
What is going on here? Quite simply, birds have thousands of feathers, and each one is subject to wear and tear that leads to moulting. Some moult gradually during the year and some, like penguins, undergo a “catastrophic moult”. They lose and replace all feathers in a 2 or 3 week period and are unable to go to sea to find food during this time.
Other birds undergoing moult:
Other birds at Lynde Shores:
many Chipmunks:
NATURE POETRY
August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne. – Sara Coleridge (1802–1852)
Miles Hearn