Fickle Goldfinches

I went through a long American Goldfinch drought for most of last year (obtaining only one picture between April 19th and January 7th!) Signs are that I may be enduring another. A good sized group worked my feeders hard this winter, favoring sunflower but accepting safflower. (and oddly ignored every offering of nyger seed which worked so well in past years.---FYI the photo is from last year) This past week, I've seen one bird, on one day only. I know they are around: my last neighborhood walk led to the discovery of a flock working a blooming Sweetgum tree no more than two hundred feet from my home. I am striving to be optimistic: perhaps the goldfinches are just on a new diet craze and find the seeds tucked into the remaining Sweetgum balls simply irresistible. One learns to put up with fickle finches. Yet, I lodge a little protest…all I want are more pictures of them wearing their dazzling breeding plumage!