Female Northern Cardinal

Female Northern Cardinal, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

The state bird of Ohio is the Northern Cardinal. The males are a beautiful red while the females are subtle shades of brown, gray, and red. I enjoy watching these birds year round, but in winter, they stand out against the stark backdrop of snow and ice to cheer me up.

This photo was taken last spring at Blendon Woods Metro Park. There is a bird blind near a small lake. There's always a lot of activity in the brush and on the ground near the blind - probably due to the several feeders that are located near the blind.