Worm-eating Cardinal

I didn't get a Worm-eating Warbler this spring, but the Worm-eating Cardinal did not elude me. I saw one yesterday. It had a very large earthworm, and it appeared to be trying to swallow the worm whole, robin fashion. It just wasn't getting anywhere, though, so it worked at cutting off a bite-sized piece, which it did. Despite its powerful bill, it was not adept at this task--it took a while. The bird then seemed to be trying to eat this small piece (half an inch long), but it still wouldn't go down. Finally, the cardinal (male) flew off with the morsel--maybe to see if one of the kids could handle it.

-- from Bruce Bowman, Ann Arbor, Michigan