Al's Musings

The Cardinal (as seen in the Fall '06 Bird's Eye View)

I have no doubt that the Northern Cardinal has made birders out of more people than any other bird. It's what I call an impact bird.

My first memory of a Cardinal was seeing one fly up from the snow-covered ground under an old wooden birdfeeder that my grandmother kept hanging from a lilac branch. I was just a small boy at the time and had only seen pictures of the Cardinal in books done by Golden and Capper's Weekly. A flash of vivid red rising from the all too white landscape took my breath away. Why, it was even more beautiful than the red-twig dogwood that brought color to many a winter's day. It was even more handsome than the rascally Blue Jay who brought us our daily requirements of summer skies in its feathers in February, when we needed them the most.

The sight of this bird was burned into my vision. I could still see the Cardinal in my mind's eye hours after my initial glimpse. I told my parents about my discovery and they either shared my enthusiasm or they did an excellent job of pretending to. I dreamed of this marvelous bird and its elegance. For days, I couldn't look at a box of crayons without expecting several of the more magnificent colors to fly away. I spent a bit of each day searching for another look at this grand bird.

Years have passed and the Cardinal has become a much more common bird. I have seen countless Cardinals over this time, but I will still risk life and limb tromping through many a thorned vine and prickly shrub to catch a quick look at a redbird singing, “What-cheer, what-cheer, birdy, birdy, birdy.”

And you know what? If I am lucky enough to see a Cardinal, I tell everyone I know about my great discovery. And for hours later, I can close my eyes and still see the bird that made a birder out of me.

©Al Batt