A couple of these dazzlers have been hanging around my yard for three weeks
For the past three weeks there have been two redbirds in my yard. There has not been a “tan/gray” female in sight. Somebody told me cardinals are supposed to mean good luck in local folklore. The other new-to-me tidbits here are that they don’t migrate, but are expanding North (could it be CLIMATE CHANGE, said to Wingnuts out there?!), they’re fairly social even with other birds, and they’re monogamous (only in mating season?) with the males feeding the females during nesting.
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https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/id
The northern cardinal is so well loved that it has been named the official bird of no fewer than seven U.S. states. Bright red cardinals are easily identified by even casual bird watchers, and are often seen frequenting backyards and bird feeders. When foraging elsewhere the birds eat insects, seeds, grain, fruit, and sap.
Cardinals, also called "redbirds," do not migrate and have traditionally been more common in warmer climes such as the U.S. southeast. However, in recent decades they have expanded their common range north through the United States and even into Canada. This population growth
Only males sport the brilliant red plumage for which their species is known. The color is a key to mating success—the brighter the better. Females are an attractive tan/gray.
Cardinals are active songbirds and sing a variety of different melodies.
Males can be aggressive when defending their territory, and they frequently attack other males who intrude. This tendency sometimes leads cardinals to fly into glass windows, when they charge an "intruding bird" that is really their own reflection.
Cardinals are fairly social and join in flocks that may even include birds of other species. During mating season, however, groups dissolve into pairs. Male birds feed their monogamous partners as they incubate clutches of eggs—typically three per season.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
and some males are desperate. I find them comforting.
However, one of these days one'll chip away at the glass so much it'll break and s/he'll be bloodied up. My neighbor probably thinks I'm a lunatic when I go outside and yell at them, but, hey, I'm the boss of my house. They can be the boss of the hedges. 
They are pretty birds, though, and those are great pictures.
never mind! 
We have a lot of cardinals here in NC.
This is my favorite shot I've taken of a cardinal here--several years ago--through my then living room window.
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But we have many of these pyrrhuloxia also called desert cardinals. They are quite friendly and will come close to me and tell
me if the feeder is empty. I almost had one eating out of my hand. We did have a real cardinal here twice in many years.
