February 25 – My Nature Journal

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

When photographing wildlife, the time of day can really alter the colors and patterns you can see.

I took this shot of a female Northern Cardinal during the golden hour around sunset.

In full daytime sunlight, female Northern Cardinals have subtle coloration. They appear tan or fawn-colored, with reddish wings, crests, and tail feathers.

But during the golden hour around sunset, the quality of sunlight changes dramatically and skews to gold, yellow, red, and orange tones.

These warm tones make this female look very orange, with much deeper, saturated coloring than usual.