Intimations of spring

midst the roller coaster of wintry weather that has dogged us over the past two weeks - if there were "dog days of winter, they would be in the month of February - it is possible to hear the unmistakable "what-cheer, what-cheer, what-cheer" of the

northern cardinal , reminding us that you simply can't hold back the changing seasons.

The "redbird" is arguably America's favorite songbird, and surely the most familiar to even the most casual observer. It is the state bird in seven states, more than any other species. The brilliant red male is instantly recognized. The female is variably brownish-buff with red highlights. Both sexes have a prominent crest and a bright reddish-orange bill.

Cardinals begin their courtship and mating activities around now, with the males staking out a territory and singing to attract a mate. In cardinals, both the male and female sing, and it is the female who often initiates the singing, which may then instigate "countersinging" by the male; in this way, a bond is established.

Birds also sing to demarcate their territory and even as an aggressive signal to potential rivals. Cardinals - like some other related species, such as buntings - have regional song dialects, and it is possible to hear differences between individuals in one area and those in a more distant place.

Nest-building will commence by mid-March. The female takes the lead, building a loose cup nest in shrubbery in which she lays three or four eggs on average. Cardinals may have several broods a year in our region. Many of the eggs and young, however, are victimized by predators such as crows and raccoons, and by the brown-headed cowbird, a brood parasite that discards its host's eggs and lays its own in the host's nest.

The cardinal has a varied diet. In winter, seeds and fruits are favored, and cardinals regularly patronize feeders, to the delight of birdwatchers. During the summer, many insects get eaten, and the young are fed almost exclusively insects.

It's hard to imagine now, but 60 or 70 years ago the northern cardinal was not present in New England. Milder winters and the availability of feeders have been the likely causes of the cardinal's rapid expansion northward, and the cardinal has also proven to be a remarkably adaptable, not to mention welcome, year-round resident of the Northwest Corner.

Fred Baumgarten is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at fredb58@sbcglobal.net. His blog is at thatbirdblog.blogspot.com.