During an exceptionally lengthy spell of chilly, cloudy, drizzly March-like weather in early May, continuing to feed the birds provides a welcome and cheerful spot of physical, emotional, psychological colour.
Cheerful . . . colour.
Tag: American goldfinch
Feeding birds.
Feeding songbirds during a snowfall. American Goldfinch (left) and House Sparrow (right).
Perches.
An American Goldfinch perches on the shepherd’s crook which supports two bird feeders below it.
Blizzard.
I’m under a Blizzard Warning. Although the snow has stopped falling, it’s blowing and drifting. It’s -15C (5F) with a wind chill of -27C (-16F). A tough time for songbirds, so I’m liberally scattering seed as well as keeping the bird bath plugged in.
Attempted.
An American Goldfinch attempted to share a perch at the feeder with a House Finch. The House Finch didn’t budge, so the goldfinch had to leave and wait its turn.
Highlighted.
Highlighted by late afternoon sun, an American Goldfinch feeds.
A molting American Goldfinch and a fledgling perch on a sunflower just outside the kitchen window. I deduced it as a fledgling because it exhibited begging behaviour just before taking this photo, which may appear to be a little out of focus – I shot it through the window screen.
As attractive.
I mix whole shelled sunflower seed into what goes in the feeders. In wet weather I watch how much of this I put out, since it spoils so quickly.
For American Goldfinches, it’s as attractive a food as the in-shell sunflower.
Clings.
A molting American Goldfinch clings to the nyger seed feeder.
Found it.
It has been a cold and very dry January. Open water has been a scarce resource for the songbirds that we feed. The heated bird bath failed. I bought and put out a new one, and the American Goldfinches found it within fifteen minutes.
previouslytexan 