On this particular trip to Minnesota, this little fella has visited me every morning in the tree outside my bedroom and bathroom windows. He calls to his lady and sometimes she shows up too.

There's something magical about seeing a cardinal in winter, especially the male. His bright red feathers are a welcome burst of color against the white of the snow, the gray of an overcast day, and the dull brown of a deciduous tree in winter. We likely have cardinals in Southern California but I probably haven't noticed them without such a dramatic color contrast. Well, that and I'm sure he'd be an easy meal to spot for the red-tailed hawk that lives in our backyard!