As simple as it may sound, I find great fun in watching the many bird varieties that populate our neighborhood and region. It's been exciting because there are more varieties here than anywhere else I've lived, including beautiful cardinals. This week, the pair of cardinals that have apparently lived in our yard ever since we've been here have been busy constructing a new nest, right outside our kitchen window. The female cardinal began with sturdy twigs that she broke off of a bush, and then worked her way up to finer twigs, grass, and leaves. The male cardinal helps occasionally and also spends a lot of time chasing off grackles and blue jays. I can't help but smile when I see them working away outside my window.
Photo from wiki.