Nature Done Wright

  This post has been updated, big time: In early May last year, I photographed a male Northern Cardinal as he offered his lady friend (below) a seed in an apparent courtship display.

Cut to a few days ago, I happened to see a strange smallish bird in the backyard.

I started to photograph it in hopes of getting an ID.

   Suddenly, down flew a male Northern Cardinal, who pecked a seed from the ground and fed it to the drabber, slightly smaller bird.

   He repeated the scene a few times before they both flew off. 

   I really didn't pay attention to the juvenile and just assumed it must be a Cardinal.  Wrong.

   Turns out that the juvenile was a Brown-headed Cowbird, and the Northern Cardinal was being played for the fool. Him and me both!

   More on parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds in the comment section of this post. (Thanks, Scott!)