Cardinals Getting Ready to Rumble

I may have had some frustrations with some species either being absent or unpredictable this winter, but one that has been the superstar for the season is Northern Cardinal. The Cardinals are practically abundant here and I have counted upwards of seven males and six females who have been regular visitors to both sunflower and safflower seed feeders. They definitely had a very successful breeding season in 2009 and I am enjoying the fruits of creating a Cardinal-friendly habitat. It will not be long, however, before Nature has her Smackdown. I am already hearing territorial calls by male Cardinals, and surely there will be some epic turf fights among the seven. There may be enough buffer in our neighborhood for these characters to spread out some, but only one is going to get the Cary BirdCam feeders and that wonderful tangly turf in my backyard. It will get interesting come March.