It’s that time of year when male birds act aggressively territorial, launching defensive attacks against all interlopers.

So The Old Lady was interested but not surprised to watch a crimson and black cardinal perch on the window ledge of her truck and wage a fierce battle with his own reflection in the side mirror.

He lost!

After his first furious assault the cardinal dropped down to the ground for a breather. Then in a great display of persistence and misperception he redoubled his efforts. He flapped his wings and pecked the mirror until, exhausted, he flew away.

“So often we humans do the same thing,” mused The Old Lady, “struggling fiercely against what we believe opposes us… only to find that we were fighting our own reflection all along.”