Father to http://www.pbase.com/dpf/image/163155203.

This is a "diffused lighting" image because the bird was not sitting on the outside branches of the tree. Although in a clearing, he was instead somewhat deep inside the tree. He was in shade. It was also late afternoon. I had to use exposure compensation to keep from losing him in the shade.

This was taken outside in our Bradford Pear. The tree foliage is very dense and hides birds well. Usually, I'm lucky to just see only a hint of movement behind the thick leaf cover and not the birds. However, Daddy Cardinal came to a slight clearing between branches just long enough for me to get a nice shot of him without any branch obstructions

I know that this Cardinal is the daddy bird because of how he is missing some feathers on his mask. Plus his missing crest. His frequent visits to the Solar Room - plus having him inside my family and living rooms one afternoon - gave me the chance to get a really close look at him. Because of his unique look, he is currently easy for me to identify over other Cardinals.