Project 365 - Lady

I have so enjoyed watching the birds that have flocked to my bird feeder this winter.  There is nothing remarkable about the variety of birds.  It's just a gathering of your average song birds with a woodpecker thrown in every now and then.

Today, one lady caught my eye.  This female cardinal came and stayed for a while.  She settled into the shrub just off the deck.  She puffed herself up after a moment or two of gentle preening.  She roosted there, just a few feet from my camera lens for the better part of an hour.

I had never really stopped to appreciate the beauty of the less flashy cardinal partner.  The soft muted grays and greens accented with vibrant smudges of red and a brilliant orange beak.  It is easier to allow your eye to be entertained by the racy red and black of the male.  A jaunty fellow to be sure, but skiddish in nature.  He is so obvious. But, she, blending into the world around her, has an air of serenity.  And, in my quietest of moments, I stand in awe.