The Cardinal Rule of Relationships

Male northern cardinal

Valentine’s Day has come and gone for yet another year, and it seems as though the passion and romance that is attributed to this holiday is simmering down to the routines that are a part of every couple’s lives. However, for northern cardinals there is no such thing as settling down into an easy, no work relationship. Constant courtship is the key to any cardinal family, with signs of commitment and affection keeping a pair together year-round. Males don’t just stick around for the lively breeding season, they also need to be supportive partners and help with domestic tasks and raising their young. During the courtship period the male will bring sticks and other building material to the female for nest building. He also will bring her food and gently feed her, beak to beak, before and after any eggs are laid. Fiercely defending their territory, the male cardinals never stray long from their mate and progeny. This continued commitment throughout the parenting process is sure sign of good mate selection. Maybe we would all benefit from taking relationship notes from northern cardinals: striving to continually and passionately woo our partners well after the initial flare of romance has passed.

Left: male / Right: female

Life in the Shadows

Land iguana basking

On the island of South Plaza in Galapagos, the sun is intense and shade is a precious commodity. The animals that inhabit the island, such as the land iguanas, marine iguanas, sea lions, and lava lizards are well-adapted to life in the equatorial sun. All of the reptiles that inhabit this island rely on the sun’s heat for energy, being unable to produce their own body heat like their mammal counterparts.

Opuntia cactus

However resilient they may be, though, the residents of South Plaza must occasionally find temporary reprieve in the few shadows available or risk overexposure. Seeing as there is very little shade to go around, several species can be found cohabitating in close proximity to each other and seem to tolerate each other’s presence well. The Opuntia cactus is the only vegetation that grows tall enough to provide the life-giving shade. It is also a primary food source for a large portion of its herbivorous residents.

Land iguana and marine iguana in the shade

The thermal balancing act and resilience of those who follow it are primary determining factors for which species can colonize South Plaza and succeed for multiple generations. All of the land-based residents here are descendants of castaways who have managed to carve their own niche into the ecology of this island formed by volcanoes. Those that can cool themselves in the water, such as sea lions, possess an advantage over their landlocked neighbors. What may seem inhospitable to most makes the perfect home for many other species accustomed to a life in the shadows.

Sea lion basking

Worth the Wait

I woke up well before sunrise to trek out to my tiny photography blind in a small forest clearing. It was only five degrees out this particular morning in early winter, which was slightly cold for Nebraska (though not nearly as cold as it can get.) After five hours of sitting still and not seeing much more than squirrels, I was about to pack up for the day. Just as I took one last look, a white-tailed buck walked around a nearby ridge. Staying for only a moment, he glanced back at me as if to say “you’re welcome.”

This photograph won people's choice in the January 2015 Wild View photography contest via the Wildlife Conservation Society. You can view the original post here.