ArthurPix™
ArthurPix™
HINT: You went through a stage like this yourself!
At first I was alarmed he might be sick, but the beak was the tip-off. Carl here is a Juvenile Cardinal, midway through molting into mature plumage.
As a nestling he was grayish, protectively colored to mask him from Merlins and Hawks. But soon he’ll need to attract a mate and raise a brood of his own.
So his beak is gradually growing vermillion, and his feathers will be Cardinal scarlet.
Meantime, Carl may look a bit scruffy, but hey, you and I once did too! And he braved a portrait session, and I call that pretty cool, Carl!
Maybe, just maybe, he’ll remember me when he’s a full blown, stunning adult. Meantime, Carl, stay safe, happy foraging, and come spring, may you find the mate of your heart’s desire.
