Just the back yard!? Nah, I want the front and side yards landscaped in natives too.



Friday, December 30, 2011

Goldfinches in Winter

I remember reading somewhere about the fact that goldfinches have a winter plumage much more dull than their bright summer yellow. The author mentioned someone asking about a flock of birds they spotted on the college campus that they'd never seen before, only to find out that they were the familiar goldfinch after their winter molt. I'm assuming that was new to me at the time, but with that knowledge, I've never assumed I was seeing a different species.

This morning, with camera in hand (and in the warmth of the living room), I spotted a small flock of them outside the window coming to the black oil sunflower seeds I'd put out the day before. I'm happy to have the right habitat for them...and to have more than just the one or two that seemed to show up in the past few years. I even got a couple of decent shots of them.



5 comments:

Ellen Honeycutt said...

Those ARE great pictures of them.

Rebecca said...

Great photos, David! A friend just gave us a candle centerpiece made from a sycamore branch that looks a lot like yours.

David said...

Thank you both for your kind comments.

Rebecca, I bet that must be a beautiful centerpiece. Sycamore and birch would make great candle holders.

Julie Stone said...

I can't believe you took those shots from your living room! They're really good! I have not seen any Goldfinches since summertime and I miss them, they're so sweet.

David said...

Thank you so much, Julie. I'm glad you think they are that good. I have to admit that I like the idea of being able to get shots like that without having to even leave the house! I can't wait until the property is filled with native beauty and visiting wildlife, and I hope to get a lot of special photographs over the years.