Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
A familiar bird in the eastern US, we also find the Northern Cardinal in southern Arizona, where I first met this species. I thought Arizona was rich in these brilliant red birds, but when I visited Texas, I realized this was a place of Cardinal riches. I found them everywhere I visited in the Lone Star State. So beloved is this bird, seven states have adopted it as their state bird. These North American natives are nonmigratory, and we find them nearly everywhere in the eastern USA between the Atlantic coast and the plains east of the Rocky Mountains and south into Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.
Science recognizes 19 subspecies of Northern Cardinal. With a such a wide range over the North American continent, and virtually no migratory lifestyle, it should come as no surprise that the gene-pool of these birds might not blend homogeneously across the entire range. The Hatfields would stay in their valley, while the McCoys would remain in theirs (so-to-speak).
While I was in Texas at Laguna Atascosa NWR, I met a feisty male who could not stop jousting at any reflection of himself, and he entertained me with his persistent antics. Rear-view mirrors and shiny truck bumpers were all fair game. I’d read about such hormone driven episodes of aggression, but this was my first chance to be a witness.
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Tubac Arizona, near the Tubac Bridge over the Santa Cruz River. |
Date Taken: 2015:10:26 14:59 |
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Location:
Tubac |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D722138-NorthernCardinal |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Tubac Arizona, near the Tubac Bridge over the Santa Cruz River. |
Date Taken: 2015:10:26 15:02 |
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Location:
Tubac |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D722149-NorthernCardinal |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Tubac Arizona, near the Tubac Bridge over the Santa Cruz River. |
Date Taken: 2015:10:26 15:02 |
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Location:
Tubac |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 380 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D722153-NorthernCardinal |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Tubac Arizona, near the Tubac Bridge over the Santa Cruz River. |
Date Taken: 2015:10:26 15:03 |
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Location:
Tubac |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 380 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D722157-NorthernCardinal |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Tubac Arizona, near the Tubac Bridge over the Santa Cruz River. |
Date Taken: 2015:10:26 15:52 |
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Location:
Tubac |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 400 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D722235-NorthernCardinal |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Tubac Arizona, near the Tubac Bridge over the Santa Cruz River. |
Date Taken: 2015:10:26 15:52 |
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Location:
Tubac |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 400 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D722241-NorthernCardinal |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Tubac Arizona, near the Tubac Bridge over the Santa Cruz River. |
Date Taken: 2015:10:26 15:52 |
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Location:
Tubac |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 400 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D722243-NorthernCardinal |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Male at Aqua Caliente Park in Tucson, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:28 11:52 |
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Location:
Agua Caliente Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD2853NorthernCardinal |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, www.shadetree-imaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Tucson, Arizona. Near the Catalina Highway. |
Date Taken: 2000:11:24 7:54 |
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Location:
Tanque Verde |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, 0 mm, |
File Name: A0k24b36-NorthernCardinal |
| © 2000 Jack Daynes |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Female bird at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona is a well known desert oasis and a great place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:23 15:46 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X4180-Boyce-Thompson-Arboretum |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: This female suburban bird paid the yard a visit while I was in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 10:25 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X2396-Thatcher-Arizona |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: This female suburban bird paid the yard a visit while I was in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 10:24 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X2363-Thatcher-Arizona |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: This female suburban bird paid the yard a visit while I was in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 10:24 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X2359-Thatcher-Arizona |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: This female suburban bird paid the yard a visit while I was in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 10:24 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X2348-Thatcher-Arizona |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: This female suburban bird paid the yard a visit while I was in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 10:24 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X2343-Thatcher-Arizona |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: The Cienega at Arivaca. Part of the Buenos Aires NWR in rural Arizona. Southeast of Tucson. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:04 6:54 |
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Location:
Arivaca Cienega |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal-Male_D5X0458 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Because of the working well and wind pump at the site of the old Sam Nail Ranch homestead in Big Bend, it is a great place to meet a variety of birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 10:31 |
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Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X3416-SamNailRanch |
| (C)2019 Jack Daynes |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: On my first full day in camp I split my time between chores and chasing birds here at the Triple R RV Resort on the Nueces River near Crystal City Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:11 16:46 |
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Location:
Nueces River |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/640 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D509187-NuecesRiver |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Cardinals here at the Triple R RV Resort on the Nueces River near Crystal City Texas, were the most common species I found. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:12 17:29 |
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Location:
Nueces River |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/640 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D509692-NuecesRiver |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: This young lady had lots of friends sharing a drink at the site of the old Sam Nail Ranch homestead in Big Bend. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 10:24 |
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Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X3314-SamNailRanch |
| (C)2019 Jack Daynes |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: This young lady had lots of friends sharing a drink at the site of the old Sam Nail Ranch homestead in Big Bend. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 10:24 |
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Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X3317-SamNailRanch |
| (C)2019 Jack Daynes |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Because of the working well and wind pump at the site of the old Sam Nail Ranch homestead in Big Bend, it is a great place to meet a variety of birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 9:37 |
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Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X3159-SamNailRanch |
| (C)2019 Jack Daynes |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: I spent the day meeting birds at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:24 11:28 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X1423-Boyce-Thompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: I rode my bike in town along the San Felipe Creek to find these birds. My day in Del Rio was spent chasing birds at four different locations around Del Rio Texas. |
Date Taken: 2021:06:09 2:10 |
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Camera Information: |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D508331-DelRioTexas-scaled |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: On my first full day in camp I split my time between chores and chasing birds here at the Triple R RV Resort on the Nueces River near Crystal City Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:11 16:46 |
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Location:
Nueces River |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D509149-NuecesRiver |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: On my first full day in camp I split my time between chores and chasing birds here at the Triple R RV Resort on the Nueces River near Crystal City Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:11 16:46 |
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Location:
Nueces River |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/640 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D509182-NuecesRiver |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: During my visit to the reserve, cardinals were noticably engaged in breeding behaviours. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 10:12 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D504331-Atascosa-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: During my visit to the reserve, cardinals were noticably engaged in breeding behaviours. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 10:16 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D504348-Atascosa-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
|
Description: During my visit to the reserve, cardinals were noticably engaged in breeding behaviours. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 8:11 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D503841-Atascosa-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Northern Cardinals are everpresent in much of the Arizona desert. I met these birds while visiting the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona. The day was sunny and the birds were friendly. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:26 9:15 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X5302-Boyce-Thompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Northern Cardinals are everpresent in much of the Arizona desert. I met these birds while visiting the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona. The day was sunny and the birds were friendly. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:26 9:14 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X5263-Boyce-Thompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: I spent an early mid-November morning at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona, where I met several of the 'usual suspects', such as this bird. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:16 10:13 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X0589-BoyceThompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: I enjoy watching cardinals forage. Sometime capturing a great pose can surprise me. Less than two miles south of the small town of Quemado Texas is a roadside rest stop, or picnic area, as Texas calls them, where I had a couple of first meetings with bird species in March 2020 on my way to Brownsville Texas. My winter visit in January 2021 had some nice surprises for me as well. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:11 13:56 |
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Location:
Roadside Stop |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X0429-Quemado-TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Cardinals, jays, titmice, and thrashers were attracted to the feeders and water provided by the staff at the sanctuary. It was ten days earlier when I paid my first visit to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville Texas. I tried to explore trails I missed last time here. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:28 11:33 |
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Location:
Sable Palms Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/500 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X5739-SabalPalms |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: I'm not sure where the boys were. The only cardinals I met here were girls. Dug Out Wells is located between Panther Junction in the north and Rio Grande Village to the south. Originally established as a rest area for weary desert travelers in the early 1900s, the water now serves birds and wildlife. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:07 9:13 |
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Location:
Dug Out Wells |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X8706-DugOutWells-BigBend |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Prior to going to the Convention Center, I visited the Sheepshead Bird Sanctuary and met birds, including this shy female cardinal. Last spring I learned how productive South Padre Island can be for birding. This was my first visit in winter, and it did not disappoint. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:19 11:11 |
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Location:
Sheepshead Bird Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X2262-SouthPadreIsland |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Like the jays, cardinals split their time between the bush, the feeders, and the water. I returned to Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park Friday, three days after my first brief visit last Tuesday, when cold weather had a firm grip on most live forms. With my repaired bicycle under me, I explored all the paths the park would allow and spent a lovely day capturing wildlife images. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:19 13:58 |
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Location:
Bentsen RGV State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X3521-Bentsen-RGV-SP |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Cardinals, jays, titmice, and thrashers were attracted to the feeders and water provided by the staff at the sanctuary. It was ten days earlier when I paid my first visit to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville Texas. I tried to explore trails I missed last time here. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:28 11:47 |
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Location:
Sable Palms Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/250 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X5851-SabalPalms |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Cardinals are a fixture in most places here in south Texas, and Atascosa was no exception. I spent the day in Laguna Vista and Laguna Atascosa Thursday. I didn’t find any unusual birds, but I enjoyed those that I met. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:04 12:12 |
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Location:
Laguna Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/250 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X8726-AtascosaNWR-TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Description: Cardinals sang and played throughout the reserve during my visit. I had an errand to run in McAllen Texas on Saturday and took the opportunity to meet a new birding location in the area, called the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. What a lovely place! |
Date Taken: 2021:02:06 12:40 |
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Location:
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/500 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X9165-Edinburg |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis) |
|
Description: Cardinals, jays, titmice, and thrashers were attracted to the feeders and water provided by the staff at the sanctuary. It was ten days earlier when I paid my first visit to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville Texas. I tried to explore trails I missed last time here. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:28 11:50 |
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Location:
Sable Palms Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/125 |
File Name: NorthernCardinal_D5X5871-SabalPalms |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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