Male northern cardinal sitting in fresh snow with crest raised in an Arkansas backyard

Male Northern Cardinal in Fresh Snow in My Arkansas Yard

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A fresh snow turns my yard into a white backdrop, and cardinals turn into living color. This male northern cardinal was the brightest thing out there.

Male northern cardinal sitting in fresh snow with crest raised in an Arkansas backyard
A male northern cardinal glowing red against a clean blanket of snow.

Wildlife Notes

Male northern cardinals are hard to miss, even on a normal day. In snow, they pop even more. The red body and the black face mask make the ID simple. The raised crest also gives them that bold, alert look.

After a snow, I see cardinals do a lot of ground feeding. They work edges and shallow spots, looking for anything exposed. If the snow is deep, they will sometimes stick to places with cover or spots where wind thinned the snow.

If you have feeders out, snow days can stack up the activity fast. I had other birds moving through the same area, too. If you missed the rest of this little “snow week” in my yard, here are the other posts from the last few days:

Photography Notes

Male northern cardinal in profile with bright red plumage and black face mask against white snow
Side profile shows the crest, mask, and that winter-red color.

Snow can fool a camera meter and turn everything gray. To keep the snow looking clean and bright, I used positive exposure compensation. I also kept the shutter speed high to freeze any quick head turns.

Here are the settings for the first photo:

  • Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
  • Lens: Canon RF 200–800mm F6.3–9 IS USM
  • Focal length: 672mm
  • Aperture: f/10
  • Shutter speed: 1/2500 second
  • ISO: 2000
  • Exposure compensation: +2
  • Support: Beanbag on deck rail

That beanbag setup matters more than people think. At long focal lengths, it is the difference between “almost sharp” and “tack sharp,” especially when I am shooting from the deck and trying to stay quiet.

If you like this clean snow look, it falls right into a high-key style. I have more on that approach here: High-Key and Low-Key Wildlife Photography Tips

Closing

Snow does not last long here, so I take advantage when it shows up. A male northern cardinal in fresh snow is about as classic as backyard bird photography gets, and I never get tired of it.