That's neat Irma! I think that you're right that it may be a convenient place for the males to strut their stuff. I've found that trees with fewer leaves and less crowded branches are popular during mating season (pretty much year-round here) as they allow for quick entry and exit and highest visibility of the courting ritual.

Enjoy the show :)

Thanks, Rhonda. The appearance of the rarely appearing cardinal pair really surprised me.

We don't see many cardinals here or even blue jays. But, we did have a few cardinal sightings earlier in the Spring. I just love them so. I had lots in Williston, but it's just too hot here, I think. But, I do have new (to me) birds that visit our yard here.....wood storks, blue herons, great egrets, osprey, etc...

This is one of my all time favorite cardinal pics that I have taken :) A female taken 10 years ago in Williston. This was taken with a very long lens, hence the strong bokeh. I have this one printed and framed.

I don't know the answer to Irma's question, but that is a very nice cardinal photo Rhonda.

Thanks gyr_falcon!

If you add a very shallow water source you will see more cardinals...i have some buckets with lids on in the back garage and there are many cardinals that come by for drink...doves too.

perhaps the bamboo is a good nesting material? Do they seem to be gathering shoots or leaves?

Yesterday, I emptied my neighbor's birdbath... the mosquitoes have been unbearable and they are gone for a long length of time... and just as I did so, a cardinal came swooping by my head acting rather perturbed! Maybe I need to put a little water back in it (or leave today's rain)!

Carol in Jacksonville

Thanks for the prompt, Pea. I just put a deep plate of water on the ground by that fence and bush. I have 2 water dishes on tables and one on a cement block, but maybe there is too much activity by squirrels, jays, and doves for the cardinals to hang out there. Rarely see a cardinal come for seeds. Funny thing, a dove pair often used to sit by (and in?) one of the dishes of water on a table, but this year nothing goes near it unless I put seeds next to it. It's kept clean.

If the birds were also being very quiet, they may have seen a predator and were hiding. I had a red shoulder hawk that hung around my old house. He like to perch on a old 4x4 light post on the abandoned property next door. I'd be outside working, and suddenly, lizards started scurrying to safety and birds became silent. I'd look, and sure enough, there was the hawk.

Now cockatiels are just the opposite. I had an aviary on my back porch and one day I heard the birds having a fit! A tiny baby owl had gotten into the porch and was sleeping on top of their cage. I couldn't get him to leave, so I put them into their cage and took them in the house before they beat themselves to death trying to get away from him.