Single Northern Cardinal Sks LTR
Got a new friend in the neighborhood. Seems like a good guy. He doesn't come by my house much on account of he's, um, allergic to my cat. Anyway, he's having a little trouble with the ladies so I offered to help him out.
Hi. My name is Ozzie. I'm maybe one years old. I have a nice territory in the East Village. My interests include flying, singing, long walks on tar beach, and collecting twigs and strips of paper. Interested in meeting a nice northern cardinal lady about my age, with an eye toward settling down. Love kids. My favorite date is exchanging songs, flitting from branch to branch after a pretty lady, extending my crest for her, and giving her food from my beak. Come by my territory some time and say hello.
He's a great guy, ladies. Honest. Oh, maybe he has a little trouble with first impressions. The other morning a very pretty lady cardinal stopped by his territory and he spent about 1/2 an hour wooing her but I guess he was a bit too shy or something because the lady finally took off. Poor Ozzie. He sat there up on the top of the building watching her go. He sang a bit more. Hopped about a bit. Sang some more, but then he flew right back to his favorite highest branch and starting singing for any other ladies that might be in the neighborhood. You got to like a guy who gets right back in the saddle like that. Give him a chance, ladies. You won't be sorry. I'm sure of it.
Ozzie looks and sounds like a fine fellow.
The problem may be his real estate. Some leaves on that tree would help, a bit of camouflage for a nest.
Posted by: Vicki | April 23, 2005 at 12:11 PM
He was up in his favorite singing spot in that pic. Probably 70-80 feet in the air at the top of one of the still-leafless alanthus trees in the back there. I haven't seen his nest (I'm on the 4th floor and don't have easy access to the area behind the building), but it appears he's set up shop in some densely foliated bushes maybe 8-10 feet above the ground. Which concerns me a bit since there are plenty of cats that live down there. But the bushes where he hangs out seem pretty safe so I hope he'll be OK.
This morning a Bluejay showed up back there. Such an obnoxious call compared to Ozzie's pretty musical song. Maybe it's a red-bird/blue-bird thing. Oh, well. They seem to be willing to co-exist.
Ozzie was out working it again this morning in spite of the crappy weather. Still no luck. I have faith in him, though. His song is so pretty, I'm sure the babes will be flocking around him in no time.
Posted by: Mike the Corpuscle | April 23, 2005 at 12:25 PM
Ozzie sounds cool and you're a really nice guy to help him out like this. However, I'll happily trade you for the obnoxious jay if you'll take our mockingbird which has learned to mimic an alarm clock.
MKK
Posted by: Mary Kay | April 23, 2005 at 01:40 PM
...mockingbird which has learned to mimic an alarm clock.
This I gotta hear. mp3?
And by the way, this is what you get for setting the alarm to "Buzz" rather than "Wake to Music".
Unless what you are talking about is a wind-up type alarm, in which case I think you should thank your lucky stars the bird doesn't spend all day "ticking".
Posted by: Mike the Corpuscle | April 23, 2005 at 02:48 PM
Wait, he's a Cardinal, right? Did he vote for that no-good Pope?
Posted by: Xopher | April 25, 2005 at 12:51 PM
Naw, he's a baseball Cardinal, named after "The Wizard of Oz" himself, Ozzie Smith.
Posted by: Mike the Corpuscle | April 25, 2005 at 01:22 PM
Actually the alarm the bird mocks is Jordin's wristwatch alarm which is enough to wake Jordin but not me, well not always. When it does though it's usually at first light. Damn mockingbird.
MKK
Posted by: Mary Kay | April 27, 2005 at 12:19 PM