When Scott Taylor received a call from his dad letting him know that the backyard bird feeders were buzzing with vibrant, colorful birds, he didn’t hesitate. As a passionate bird photographer, Taylor grabbed his camera and rushed over, eager for the opportunity to capture some great wildlife shots.
“I headed straight to the kitchen window that overlooks the backyard where the feeders are,” Taylor explained to The Dodo. “I was blown away by how many male and female cardinals were flocking to the area, perching on the feeders and darting through the trees.” The feeders sit in the middle of the yard, nestled between the house and a line of trees, giving the birds a perfect place to flit back and forth all day long.Taylor was particularly drawn to the cardinals, watching them as they leapt around in the lush green spruce trees. One especially active cardinal caught his attention, and Taylor tried to focus his lens on the tiny bird, hoping for a crisp, striking shot.“Anyone who’s tried photographing cardinals knows how restless they are,” Taylor said. “They barely stay put, constantly hopping from branch to branch. I was snapping away, just trying to keep up with him, and he flew off right as I took the last photo.”Taylor didn’t think too much of it in the moment. But once he got home and began uploading the day’s shots to his computer, one image in particular made him stop in his tracks. He had managed to catch the elusive cardinal in mid-air, wings spread as it zoomed toward the feeder—and to his absolute amazement, the bird’s face was frozen in an unmistakably furious expression. It looked exactly like one of the famously grumpy red characters from the popular mobile game “Angry Birds.”
Taylor zoomed in to confirm what he thought he saw, and sure enough, the bird’s intense, almost cartoon-like glare jumped right out of the photo. It was both hilarious and incredible—and unlike anything he’d ever captured before. Thrilled by the one-of-a-kind image, Taylor posted the photo online, and it didn’t take long before the “real-life Angry Bird” started making waves across the internet. People everywhere were cracking up over the cardinal’s perfectly timed grumpy face, and the resemblance to the iconic game character was just too good to ignore.
“I still can’t believe I got that shot,” Taylor said, laughing. What started as an ordinary birdwatching day quickly turned into a viral moment, and Taylor ended up capturing not just a beautiful bird—but a feathery little legend.
“I headed straight to the kitchen window that overlooks the backyard where the feeders are,” Taylor explained to The Dodo. “I was blown away by how many male and female cardinals were flocking to the area, perching on the feeders and darting through the trees.” The feeders sit in the middle of the yard, nestled between the house and a line of trees, giving the birds a perfect place to flit back and forth all day long.Taylor was particularly drawn to the cardinals, watching them as they leapt around in the lush green spruce trees. One especially active cardinal caught his attention, and Taylor tried to focus his lens on the tiny bird, hoping for a crisp, striking shot.“Anyone who’s tried photographing cardinals knows how restless they are,” Taylor said. “They barely stay put, constantly hopping from branch to branch. I was snapping away, just trying to keep up with him, and he flew off right as I took the last photo.”Taylor didn’t think too much of it in the moment. But once he got home and began uploading the day’s shots to his computer, one image in particular made him stop in his tracks. He had managed to catch the elusive cardinal in mid-air, wings spread as it zoomed toward the feeder—and to his absolute amazement, the bird’s face was frozen in an unmistakably furious expression. It looked exactly like one of the famously grumpy red characters from the popular mobile game “Angry Birds.”Taylor zoomed in to confirm what he thought he saw, and sure enough, the bird’s intense, almost cartoon-like glare jumped right out of the photo. It was both hilarious and incredible—and unlike anything he’d ever captured before. Thrilled by the one-of-a-kind image, Taylor posted the photo online, and it didn’t take long before the “real-life Angry Bird” started making waves across the internet. People everywhere were cracking up over the cardinal’s perfectly timed grumpy face, and the resemblance to the iconic game character was just too good to ignore.“I still can’t believe I got that shot,” Taylor said, laughing. What started as an ordinary birdwatching day quickly turned into a viral moment, and Taylor ended up capturing not just a beautiful bird—but a feathery little legend.
