Female Northern Cardinal posing

This beautiful Female Northern Cardinal landed and presented herself on this flowering branch just so I could photograph her! I see lots of Northern Cardinals in my backyard in North Carolina, but this girl’s color looks more intense. I took this picture in the Rio Grande Valley area of Texas, and I wonder if the Northern Cardinal is more vivid in Texas?

This Long-Billed Thrasher conveniently took a very long bath in front of my lens while I was in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.  This is a new species for me, I thought it was a Brown Thrasher.  These beautiful birds only live in southern Texas and Eastern Mexico.  I feel very fortunate to have had this wonderful show!