Northern Cardinals are common birds here in North Georgia, but their beauty is anything but common.

Whenever one arrives, especially a male who is all decked in his radiant rojas, it’s just about impossible for him to show up unnoticed.

This fine fellow dropped by yesterday for a quick nip of sunflower seed…

…followed by a vigorous dip in the fountain…

…and topped off by a drip dry on an overhead branch.

He lingered quite awhile in the fountain, which doesn’t surprise me with the high temps we’ve been having. In fact, I’d wager that several of the upcoming posts will feature bathing birds trying to beat the heat!