Often when I look at my bird feeder there will be a female cardinal sitting at it. What’s interesting is that it’s almost always the females; I haven’t seen a male cardinal for a long time. They like to sit in the lilac bush too, singing. I don’t think they have a food source in the bush, but it’s thick branches provide shelter for not just the cardinals, but nearly every other bird species that visits my yard.
After several weeks of not seeing one Cardinal, they have returned to my yard and to several other yards along my street. The molt is over and the Cardinals are ready to be out and about, I guess! I sure do like your drawing today!
Song of the Wolf 
After several weeks of not seeing one Cardinal, they have returned to my yard and to several other yards along my street. The molt is over and the Cardinals are ready to be out and about, I guess! I sure do like your drawing today!
Cardinals seem to choose thick busy places. We see very few of them here, but when we do they are usually in thick brush.