A male cardinal sunning itself. It's a fascinating process to watch as the cardinal fluffs its' feathers, and orients itself to the sun for maximum exposure. It appears as if the cardinal has the capability to self-inflate!

Image made using a purpose built bird feeder/studio. The “studio” was fitted with small, concealed bird seed receptacles and small and large reflectors. The reflectors were constructed from aluminum pans and hidden or placed out of camera view. The goals were well posed, well lit (esp. the eyes), bird portraits with maximum sharpness and detail.

Nikon D300, 55-200mm Nikkor DX, f8 @200mm, 1/250sec, iso400, Nikon MC-30 Cable Release, Manfrotto 3021BPro Tripod w/Manfrotto 410 Jr. Gearhead.