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that April is almost here now. Temperatures are looking very nice for the coming days, as well as the migration monitors online (this is a fantastic and fascinating source: https://birdcast.info/). The backyard is still slowly revocering from winter, and there has been a nice steady activity all week. Here are a couple of the current regulars. Have a wonderful Easter weekend!
(Titmouse, Pine Siskin, Redwinged Blackbird, Downy Woodpecker)
A group of Pine Siskins visited, sharing food with Juncos and Goldfinches. It is funny to see them somewhat get along because Pine Siskins and Goldfinches can be quite feisty despite their small size. The Siskins and Juncos will soon start migrating north.
It is a murky Sunday (perfect for baking cookies ☺️), and activity is slow, but there are some new visitors around!
continues to be wild, but nature is unstoppable, and spring is marching on. And it is fabulous to watch the changes and transformations. After showing just some specks of vibrancy, the Goldfinches are now almost completely in summer plumage. They nest the latest of them all so I think they just enjoy being bright and colorful for as long as possible. I do not blame them :)
always make for some good birdwatching, and the feeders were buzzing at times yesterday despite the freezing rain. The light was murky, but this just kind of makes their colors pop. Here are some of the visitors: American Goldfinch, Eastern Bluebird, Blue Jay, House Finch, Redbellied Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal.
how different things are this November, compared to all the other years I have been here. Temperatures are more than mild, which I think is responsible for the relative quiet in the yard right now. Nature provides an abundance of food, there are still insects around too, so the birds seek feeders less. The Grackle and Redwinged Blackbird are still around too, and today I saw in a local birding group that someone had a Hummingbird on their feeder in Michigan. I am enjoying this mild weather but I really hope we will get some cold too. Anyways, here are some of the current residents, most of which are very busy taking nuts and seeds and hiding them for snowy days.
(Redbreasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, Blackcapped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse and House Finch)
(see here) there may be another irruption of Purple Finches and Evening Grosbeaks going on this winter, and looking at the numerous reports of sightings in the local birding groups, it appears to be true. I heard one the other day (ID’d by Merlin) but have not been blessed with a visitor thus far. I am crossing my fingers. For the time being, here are some Goldfinches, they almost have the same colors 😆 Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Baby Goldfinches are so stinking adorable.
The kamikaze peeps, (Goldfinches), continue to fight, and it is always a good opportunity to see some wing action in the photos.
what American Goldfinches are like, please see below. This feels like the quintessential Goldfinch photo. I don’t know why they are like that but they are some of the feistiest and aggressive birds out there, which is a bit funny because they are so tiny and sound like a rubber ducky 😄
Have a good Saturday!
you will notice hierarchies and pecking orders. Not just within the backyard as a habitat but also within the smaller “habitats” of feeders, bath and feeding areas. It is always interesting to see who gets along, who doesn’t, who comes in groups and who goes all by themselves. Goldfinches are plenty right now, and the funny thing is that they will get along with others but go bananas amongst each other. Chickadees, Redbreasted Nuthatches and also Juncos like to do their own thing, diligently visiting feeders when there’s no traffic (usually because they are empty) or foraging around the ground and near the bird bath.
how some birds make a complete disappearance and then suddenly return in full force. The Goldfinches are a case of that. Now in less vibrant winter plumage, they come to feed on seed pods in the garden, check out bird baths for a sip or two and also go to feeders. I personally don’t feed thistle because I find it too messy but I also realized that Goldfinches LOVE shelled sunflower seeds. So much that one year, I picked them out of the mix because I wanted to get photos of other birds too 😆
we got a lot of rain yesterday. The birds got properly sokaed but many flocked to the feeders, even for “seed soup”. When you have larger feeders that are exposed to rain or moisture, make sure to check for signs of mold and change out the food and clean the feeders accordingly. I loved the eerie quality of this Goldfinch photo.
who talks to the beings around them? I am. I talk to the resident (indoor) cat goddess, I talk to the Groundhog when I see him running, I talk to the plants and I also talk to the birds. These two here are currently the most vocal. The baby Goldfinches are all over the place, excitedly talking to their parents, and the Red-bellied Woodpecker lady is just like me in a car in heavy traffic 😆 She wants to eat in peace but there are so many others who annoy.
that are always possible during migration times and even normal times. Yesterday, Count Grackula made a surprise visit to the yard! It has been what feels like a month since I last saw a Grackle, so this was wonderful to see. He didn’t stay long but he found some nutrition for his travels here. Today it is once again raining, so yesterday was a great day to travel for a migrating bird.
And from big to small, the rough looking cutie is a molting Goldfinch. You can still see the bright and vibrant yellow of their summer feathers but the milder brownish tones of their winter plumage are coming in too.
Backyard life is still slow and variety is down, which works for me right now because work is busy for me at the moment. The Goldfinches have returned though, and the squeaky sounds of their adorable babies are filling the air. It is quite stormy today, which will help the migrants. And I hope some surprise visitors will pass through on their journey. Yesterday, I did see a Pine Warbler but it didn’t come to the cameras. Maybe today?
get a bit sad when barefoot weather comes to an end, I must admit that I am thoroughly enjoying the cooler temperatures and the smell of fall in the air. Things are still slow here but in the last two days, the Goldfinches have started to come back. They nest late in the season, and right now you can see them with their young ones. These two came to the feeder, and while I am sure they are both American Goldfinches, their very black wing bars look a bit unusual. Normally, there is more white to see there. I think the paler one is a molting young adult bird.
