Althouse: One mate in the bright sunlight, another waiting in the... wings.

March 3, 2019

One mate in the bright sunlight, another waiting in the... wings.

21 comments:

Original Mike said...: Going to be cold tonight, birdies.; 3/3/19, 12:23 PM
YoungHegelian said...: I'll bet that cardinal was paying attention to those Ashley Madison ads!; 3/3/19, 12:24 PM
wild chicken said...: Omg cardinals are the most fabulous bird. The only thing I miss about the Midwest tbh.; 3/3/19, 12:31 PM
n.n said...: He does seems a little standoffish. Perhaps she can rustle her feathers a little... or wait for a gentle breeze to capture his affection.; 3/3/19, 12:50 PM
rcocean said...: Waiting in the wings (pun acknowledged) - however the birds must be Democrats. Otherwise, it'd be "Waiting to pounce".

OT: Senate Republicans - what a clown show! Oh, they're all in favor of border security and a wall - don't say otherwise. They're just against the only way to get a border wall because...wait for it...the constitution and separation of powers. Gee, I can't remember the R senators being upset over Obama's DACA executive order. In fact, every time people wanted Congress to to do something, Mitch would intone it was all a waste of time, because Obama would just veto, and go back to spreading the graft around.; 3/3/19, 1:10 PM
traditionalguy said...: The female Cardinal walks behind, nests behind and flies behind the magnificent bird she belongs to. Father Nature has never been politically correct.; 3/3/19, 1:18 PM
Big Mike said...: @wild chicken, I favor the eastern blue bird. Earlier this afternoon we had four (4 !) of them together on our deck, three on our sunflower seed feeder and the fourth on our suet feeder. They are migratory birds so these two pairs probably came north too soon and are dismayed to be caught in a snow storm. Normally blue birds are insectivores, but there are no insects out and about in the freezing weather. The fat in the suet and the oil in the sunflower seeds will sustain them until it gets warm enough for bugs.; 3/3/19, 1:31 PM
Ann Althouse said...: My "waiting in the wings" refers to the other male, not the female.; 3/3/19, 1:36 PM
rehajm said...: Senate Republicans - what a clown show!

I know right? Who votes for these people?; 3/3/19, 1:39 PM
traditionalguy said...: OMG, I was wrong. The Professor has presented us with two male Red Cardinals courting one attractive and intelligent female. And of course she will take the youngest one. Birds are like humans after all.; 3/3/19, 2:17 PM
effinayright said...: Outside Boston, I just *heard* the first Cardinal of the spring.

Can't see him, though.; 3/3/19, 2:31 PM
Lloyd W. Robertson said...: Still no cardinals here (about an hour north of Toronto). Saw a few birds the other day--too fast to get a picture. Black-capped vireos?; 3/3/19, 2:42 PM
Quaestor said...: ...another waiting in the wings.

A few of yesterday's comments noted that cardinals (or more specifically northern cardinals, there are two other cardinal species) mate for life. I don't know the extent of genetic studies done on Cardinalis cardinalis, but studies of a several "mated for life" birds have revealed that it is common for the distaff side of such pairing to entertain a gentleman caller from time to time.; 3/3/19, 3:24 PM
traditionalguy said...: I hear there is a sudden shortage of Cardinals from the year's work done by the Trumpster's new 500 lawyer team of Pedophile Busters working upsealedIndictments from the Utah U.S.Attorney's Office. And the screwy new Pope is suddenly in a panic.; 3/3/19, 5:37 PM
DanTheMan said...: Mrs. DtM and I recently had to clean out her mom's house of 50+ years, as she is now in assisted living.
She wasn't one of those crazy hoarders, but she was a child of the depression and WWII, and kept just about everything, "because you never know..."
She was a member of many charitable organizations, all of whom sent her calendars, holiday cards, and address labels. Every year. And she kept them all.

We threw away literally thousands of "Season's Greetings" cards.

If I never see another cardinal, in the snow, on a branch of holly berries, well, that would be just fine with me.; 3/3/19, 5:56 PM
Mark said...: "California Suite" came on while I was napping. What an unfunny film. Any supposed comedy is completely forced.; 3/3/19, 6:20 PM
Humperdink said...: Played pickleball for three hours in a church gym this afternoon. We bring our own electrical tape for lines and assemble our portable net. Played numerous games. Great fun.

After the games, we pull up our tape, dismantle the net and vacate. Like we were never there. A traveling pickleball show.; 3/3/19, 7:18 PM
ken in tx said...: Cardinals are very religious birds. The males--I think it's the males-- say "Pew, pew, pew, pew. Worship, worship, worship, worship."; 3/3/19, 7:44 PM
JZ said...: Look! A cardinal! Oh. Nevermind. It was just a bishop.; 3/4/19, 7:55 AM
Carter Wood said...: The romantic troubles of two bald eagles, Liberty and Justice, have recently seized the attention of Washington, D.C., bird watchers. For the moment, their are back together and the other swains have been rebuffed. https://dcist.com/story/19/03/04/its-official-bald-eagles-liberty-and-justice-are-back-together/; 3/4/19, 2:19 PM
Stoutcat said...: I hate to disappoint anyone, but the third cardinal, the one in the background, is also a male. Perhaps they'll be electing a new pope soon.; 3/4/19, 2:53 PM