The Dance of the Holly Leaf (w/series)
When I first spotted this Northern Cardinal, I thought she had some giant bug in her beak. I watched as she seemed to almost be dancing in a circle, holding this leaf like she was showing it off for the world to see.
As soon as she flew off, carrying the leaf in her beak, a nearby male Cardinal followed her. At first I thought a brittle, sharp pointed leaf was a really strange thing to pick for nesting material. But perhaps "the dance" was part of some mating ritual and had nothing to do with the holly leaf.
******* Please note there are two more photos in the Comments section.
The Dance of the Holly Leaf (w/series)
When I first spotted this Northern Cardinal, I thought she had some giant bug in her beak. I watched as she seemed to almost be dancing in a circle, holding this leaf like she was showing it off for the world to see.
As soon as she flew off, carrying the leaf in her beak, a nearby male Cardinal followed her. At first I thought a brittle, sharp pointed leaf was a really strange thing to pick for nesting material. But perhaps "the dance" was part of some mating ritual and had nothing to do with the holly leaf.
******* Please note there are two more photos in the Comments section.