Male Cardinals: Hormones Rising! [NARRATED]

[@topsham69]

Husband intuitively put up hummingbird feeder on 3/23 (NW GA); male showed up following day. Our cardinals station themselves like guardians on a prison wall.

[@cheif9OO]

It's not Spring until I hear these guys singing outside my apartment.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

They're going at from dawn 'til dusk these days.

[@christinasornbutnark1208]

Eyes on the side meant to hide. Eyes in front meant to hunt. 😊

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Cool! I had never heard that.

[@CC-lm1tw]

We had a cardinal couple choose our bush on the front porch as a nesting spot. They had 3 babies ❤ once they fledged, I got to listen to mom and dad sing all day while their babies learned the ropes of flying and finding food. So beautiful!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

That's a great experience, C C. I filmed a Cardinal nest in our pergola one year (kzbin.info/www/bejne/j528e2ifZZylgNE), but it didn't turn out as well as yours.

[@CC-lm1tw]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I love your channel!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@CC-lm1tw Ah, that’s what I love to hear. Thanks.

[@dbeachmawmaw]

You are so right about these beautiful red fellas! I watch the ones at my feeders daily do all this chasing and darting. I tell them they don't have to be this way, there is plenty to go around but of coarse they don't pay any attention to me. Lol Love your videos!!❤❤

[@davezimmer9053]

They are really getting anxious this time of the year :P

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yeah, makes them a lot of fun to watch.

[@blaze0rama]

Brava! Brava! Another entertaining, informative video! Thanks!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks. That's always my aim--entertaining and informative. Even without any narrative, those Cardinals entertain. All I had to do was add a few words.

[@MegaLivingIt]

So beautiful. Our favorite bird.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I like it that such a gorgeous bird is also so plentiful.

[@WrenStanchen]

"Bird karma" cracked me up.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

😁

[@kiskakuznetsova503]

Love all the entertaining footage, thank you!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Those Cardinals know how to put on a show, don't they?!

[@SimplyGobsmacked]

I love cardinals! They don't have a particularly melodious song, but they are magnificent looking. Lots of interesting facts, as always. My 92yo mother would love these videos. I got my love of birds from her. I have to teach her how to use KZbin so she can enjoy this as much as I do.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Greetings to you and your grandmother, bless her heart. I"m only eleven years younger than she is, so I figure she'd cotton to my style. 😉

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Oh, and by the way, love your screen name.

[@WellaWally65]

My dear Ms. Jo!!! Sooo happy to hear from you!! They, the Cardinal’s, are my favorite!! Well, I can’t decide from them and my lovely Blue Jay’s! 😂 Thank you, beloved! God bless you! Stay healthy and safe!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I notice that internet lists of the world's most beautiful birds almost always include Bluejays in the top twenty. But never Cardinals. Go figure. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the movie. We're healthy and safe. I wish you the same.

[@esthersanchez2264]

HAD THE PLEASURE OF SEEING BOOTH/ TWO CARDINALS AND 2 BLUEJAYS EARLIER TODAY.💜😊

[@esthersanchez2264]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Male Cardinals that i see are a beautiful orange color. I worry that the predators will get a hold of them. I've seen an awl earlier this year and there are other huge gliding birds, eagles or hawks, not sure which. They sometimes show up when i go out to feed and clean up. Thank U so much for educating us as U do. 🕊️🦅🐦🦉💜

[@CousinSchultz]

"Wired up wankers" - lol! I can definitely attest that it is indeed the season for the male Cardinals to get grumpy. Some of the males at my feeder go after the females quite often. Like you said in the video, it does not make much sense when it comes to the mating process. I would like to think the males never treat their own mate that way, but it is tough to know for sure. This time of year they seem to want the entire feeder to themselves. During certain conditions, my feeder reflects their image back at them. I noticed this week that they are starting to take issue with that. Thanks for creating this video with your added narration. Very well done and thumbs up from me.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I got a kick out of your comment, especially the Cardinal "taking issue" with his own reflection.

[@christopher9833]

Love it! Just spent the afternoon catching glimpses of a bright red male! What fortuitous timing!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Serendipity. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@HomeGrownCountryGirl]

Great narrating and fun video! Thank you!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Dolores. Making it was a pleasure for me.

[@unkownperson9250]

Nice video :)

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks.

[@JH-lz4dh]

I live in SE Pennsylvania and the cardinals started singing about two weeks ago. One in particular sings from the highest tree at the edge of the parking lot 😀

[@laurellance893]

Excellent footage and narration. Always a treat to see a video from you! I saw my first cardinal of the year in January, and the red is incredibly striking when he's surrounded by snow. He was also puffed up since he was cold, looked like a red ball from a distance, I love them so much!!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Laurel. I can picture the bird you described. I have filmed the same thing and seen many a Christmas card showing it. Those male cardinals are just gorgeous.

[@audra1976oliver]

Jo! Good to hear from you. I have a lamppost in my front yard and the cardinals come and go to the top all day. It's so fun to watch them.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You got your own private floorshow. (Or lamppost show, to be exact.) Sweet.

[@pamelakern2849]

I have a nice little flock of cardinals fussing and eating at my feeders . They are so beautiful ❤ I enjoy their late evening visits. 🌙 Great video 😊

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Pamela. And I now what you mean, the Cardinals are among the first ones singing at dawn and usually the last ones at the feeder.

[@georgiacopperhead4947]

My grandma told me when i was little....do you hear the pretty bird going pretty pretty pretty. 😊 we have lots of cardinals around our house. Always enjoy your videos 🐦🕊🦉🐿🌱👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Your grandma sounds great. I remember how excited my mother used to get when she saw a mockingbird jumping into the air as it sang. Thanks for the "always enjoy your videos" comment. I always enjoy hearing that.

[@georgiacopperhead4947]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME she was the best. My husband and i are looking forward to hopefully see the Baltimore Oriol soon. I got lucky and spotted one last spring at my little pond outside my kitchen window here in middle Tn. Got pics too. So, my husband made me a really nice feeder. And i was like a kid on Christmas morning when i saw it eating the orange. And one of most favorite bird i really can't wait to hear, is the wood thrush. It's a favorite of my momma's too. We live on 30 acres, all mature trees. I have noticed more and more over the past 5 yrs roughly. They seem to hang around the house quite a bit. I can look out the window and see them hopping across the yard like Robin's do. Looking for a juicy worm. Their song is the sweetest melody. So i eagerly await their return, along with my beloved hummingbirds. Look forward to more videos! 🌷

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@georgiacopperhead4947 Oh those Baltimore Orioles, feathered sunshine is what I call them. We never get them, but I plan to go to the house of a friend who does (half an hour away) and get plenty of footage for a movie this year. We don't usually get the Wood Thrush even though we have some woods and a creek. I've heard their song, though. What a sweet warble. Have you seen the movie I did last fall about hummingbirds fighting? If not, I know it would appeal to you.

[@georgiacopperhead4947]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME yep i most definitely did see that hummingbird video 😊 and i really enjoyed it very much so. I put out quite a few feeders for them. So i go through LOTS of sugar. Usually end up making sugar water daily, and i use 32oz feeders! They'll be here very soon. Usually see 1 about middle of April and it doesn't take long for the rest to follow. And by july and August they're buzzing around like race cars. I have 1 feeder on a Shepard's hook outside our living room window, well actually 2 other windows too🤭 so i always have a front row seat. Sometimes they can be still just long enough for each opening on 1 feeder and they'll be 10 drinking happily for about 3 secs then it's right back to zipping around like fighter jets. I look forward to seeing them every spring and kinda bitter sweet when they leave Usually by late Sept early Oct. (By then i kinda need a break from making their favorite beverage) but i always wish them safe travels. Such a long hard journey them. Ahhhh birds gotta love'em

[@georgiacopperhead4947]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME oh and i really enjoyed the Dove video you recently did. We seem to have a dove population boom around here I've just noticed. I never knew it was their wings making that noise.

[@benslusher1698]

Well done video! Very nice 👌

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Ben. I'm a perfectionist. When I think a movie is 95% ready, I always end up working on it 5-10 more hours, finding small improvements I can make. So I like to hear "well done" from you.

[@melodioushaste]

This is great. It's exactly what is happening in my yard and it's hilarious. I told my friend they reminded me of my boys when they were little, always chasing each other and wrestling/fighting. Thanks for posting this. I'm going to share it on Facebook where I chronicle what goes on in bird world every day. (My desk is in front of a large window overlooking a porch and tree. I put seed on the porch rail, and they usually seem to knock a lot of it off and eat if off of the porch directly.

[@riverbender9898]

What a treat to enjoy another of your excellent videos! Thank you Dear Jo.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

And it's always a treat to hear from you, riverbender. I'm glad you consider this one up to snuff. (I wonder where THAT expression originated.)

[@riverbender9898]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I'm guessing it was the hard-ankle contingent.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@riverbender9898 Hard-ankle? Sorry, but I don't get it.

[@riverbender9898]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME That's archaic military jargon for "male"...

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@riverbender9898 Okay. No wonder I didn't get it.

[@MummerTheParrot]

I absolutely adore your videos! Your narration, editing and footage is by far the most entertaining I have found. The work you put into them is incredible! Often while birding I find myself so amused at the wonderful antics the birds get into in can be too difficult to focus my camera between quiet giggles. It’s wonderful to hear you narrate things in the way you do. Here in Deep South Texas I tend the feeders at one of our Birding parks and will say the Northern Cardinals are one of the most entertaining to watch when they are at the All-you-can-eat seed buffet. The Green Jays seem to clear out whenever they arrive. They are so feisty! Every so often we see Pyrrhuloxia but they seem so laid back in comparison to their Northern cousins. Thank you for the work you put into these.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thank you! A generous compliment like that is my reward for the hard work I put in on these videos. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me how much you enjoy my movies.

[@winnhill3736]

Great video and cards are my favorite.One thing I do differently from you is my use safflower rather than sunflower and the cards really seem 2 prefer it along with juncos,chickadees, titmouses woodpeckers, etc without the starlings, cowbirds,grackles and squirrels because they don't like it so much.great video,agaIn

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Safflower is what's in that tube feeder I showed. You do have a point, though, about the Grackles and Cowbirds. The squirrels can't get to the tray feeder, and Starling bills aren't strong enough to crack black-oil sunflower seed. I think the Grackles are beautiful, but they do sometimes hog the feeder.

[@wintermoonomen]

I giess Cardinals are like prickly pears. Ive never seen a cardinal in person , sure would like to but Im glad Ive got your videos to fill that void. I do get a kick on their head fearhers when they go up. I once had a Cockatoo, and let me tell you those cuddly white clouds are very LOUD!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

My sister was here with her 13 year old granddaughter for Thanksgiving, and it snowed. They're from Oakland. The whole back of our house is floor to ceiling, windows, and it was fun to see how excited Ellery was to see snow falling and to see Cardinals bright against the snow.

[@lovebackyardbirds]

Really lovely, informative and enjoyable video. Thank you 😊

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I appreciate getting a compliment like that from someone who chose your screen name. What I like about this hobby is that I get to see a lot of bird action, and then I get to appreciate it many times over as I edit the film. All that makes me fully appreciate those birds.

[@hundredeyes5148]

I have a young female cardinal that follows a male around everywhere but he chases her away every time and wont let her on the feeder at the same time what is going on here?

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I couldn’t say what’s going on. Can you be sure it’s the same female every time? I have to say that I thought birds had more sense than to develop hopeless crushes.

[@esthersanchez2264]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME In the past i have witnessed the generosity of the male cardinals seeing that they feed their female companion or mate 💜

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@esthersanchez2264 it's so sweet to see that, isn't it? That's how a female judges whether a male will be a helpful mate. I made a movie about them nesting, and it has closeups of the male feeding the female as she sits on eggs. She picked wisely.

[@Pazuzu4219]

Your videos each deserve more than a million views. Very good video and excellently narrated.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

My vids deserve a million views apiece? Bless you for the thought. Here's hoping the powers that be at KZbin read your comment and suggest them to everyone who ever watches a nature video. Thanks.

[@rexforestwanderers]

I really enjoy these narratives! Thank you!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Rex. I almost missed your comment, but I appreciate you posting it.

[@Wondering_About_Nature]

Love seeing them in slow motion. Great video as always❤.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I appreciate the "as always" part of the compliment. Thanks. I'm infatuated with filming birds in slomo.

[@Wondering_About_Nature]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I'm definitely going to tinker with that soon. Especially when the Hummingbirds show up more here in Coastal Delaware.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@Wondering_About_Nature I found that I could only get decent (not jumpy) slow motion by buying a camera that had 240 frames per second or more.

[@willschep2784]

Beautiful video of these great birds !

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Will. I had a lot of fun filming them.

[@melodioushaste]

I have one female (I've named her Sharon) who attacks all birds near her. She cracks me up.

[@muse_xo]

great video. always great content. thank you

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You're welcome. I appreciate the "always great content" comment.

[@Youneverknow222]

Great video Jo❤❤❤❤

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.