Many of the birds who visit our backyard feeders have been bringing their young.

This is an immature Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Both the male and the female parent has a red patch on the back of the head, with the male's red extending to a cap. It does seem a misnomer to me that it is named red-bellied as the red is on the head.

The older birds of several species have been introducing their young to the feeder. Last week I noticed a female cardinal feeding a rather large grayish bird that didn't look like a cardinal. I was mystified as I saw it occur several times, then I realized it was an immature cowbird. Cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds' nests. And the young cowbirds then often push the other eggs or younger, smaller birds out of the nest. Not my favorite species, obviously.

It does stir questions in my mind. And the possible questions that could be asked by the cardinal parents: "Junior doesn't look like either one of us. What do you suppose happened?"