Coneflowers a Hi!

The growing collection of wildflowers has been a great draw for wildlife, especially birds.  And as these flowers propagate they are providing a rich stock of native seed for birds like the American Goldfinches.  These flowers are in seed mode now and I enjoyed the sight of goldfinches working the Purple Coneflowers hard this afternoon.  That's what they are there for!  And I expect the finches to spread the seed which is an added bonus.  We need more wildflowers in our area.  Everyone won today.  And I hope to install even more natives this fall to enjoy next year.

Golden Summer

One surprise this summer is the persistence of our gluttonous friends, the American Goldfinches.  Most years I will see them in the colder months but summer seems to prod them into alternative feeding places -- that is, not in my backyard.  But here we are into July and despite two anti-Grackle "starve outs" the goldfinches are sticking around.  They are fearfully hungry and go through a lot of sunflower seed, but they are a glorious sight and I confess to appreciating that view.   Anyway, a mob of hungry goldfinches seems like a better deal than two aggressive grackles!  It will indeed be a golden summer!

Last Nesters of the Year

Things have picked up among the Goldfinch community.  They are in the best plumage, feeding like crazy, and nesting.  They are the lastest to do so in these parts, having been aligned by evolutionary forces to the cycle of the asters in mid- to late summer.  Of course we have seed feeders out even before then so the goldfinches don't really have any food crisis.  Nevertheless, nature calls when it does and it is calling now.  I expect to see waves of hungry young by the end of July.  And they will come.  Lucky I bought an extra sack of sunflower seed!

Enormous Appetites

If I could positively identify the most gluttonous bird in my back yard, I think the American Goldfinches would wipe the floor with the relatively piggy House Finches.  I notice that sunflower seed tubes empty faster at times when I see goldfinches, and a small family group routinely drains one tube in as little as two days.  And heck, they are not even feeding young yet!  This is the price I pay for seeing the vivid plumage.  Hopefully they will spread out the pigfest among my neighbors!  Goldfinches! Ack!

Goldfinches Looking Good

As the weather has progressively warmed and the days lengthen, our friends the American Goldfinches have phased out their winter plumage in favor of the bright summer fare.  Not all of them have completed the transition, but even the most junior males are discernably along to summer glory.  A side benefit is that I can detect these rascals draining the sunflower seed feeders from quite some distance away!  and that is another goldfinch behavior that I am accustomed to seeing this time of year.  If history is a guide, they'll skitter away soon and I may only see the bright yellows elsewhere.  We'll have to appreciate it now.

BirdCam Nails a Culprit

For some weeks I have marvelled at sudden feeder emptyings at one particular sunflower seed feeder.  I, of course, blamed squirrels immediately.  But a nagging feeling tugged at me and I pointed my faithful BirdCam at the feeder in question.  The answer was all there in black and....yellow.  Just today half the feeder contents (approximately 10 oz. of sunflower seed) disappeared between 10:45 AM and 4:30 PM.  The only birds that showed up on the resulting images were American Goldfinches.  Several exceptionally gluttonous ones.  Maybe more.  And not a squirrel to be seen.  I am not terribly surprised at this indictment.  Finches are exceptionally prodigious feeders.  But what to do?

Goldfinch Signs of Spring

It's fascinating to observe the molt cycles for American Goldfinches.  Typically birds molt fairly close to their breeding periods, or at least immediately afterwards, or both.  Goldfinches, which breed deep into summer, still manage to start their plumage changes as spring is barely upon us.  Already I see the older males sporting some new plumage that evokes their summer finery.  Some time much later, the whole flock will complete the work and look snappy.  I have no idea why the long, strange cycle, but it is a nice sign of spring.  March is nearly here and the goldfinches are ready!

Lazy FInches

The whole point of adding more native wildflowers to our gardens here was to provide a supportive environment for wildlife.  That, of course, assumes that the wildlife will readily accept the native food materials preferentially to the same old diet of sunflower seeds.  In the case of American Goldfinches...not so much.  They did visit the first breakout of seeds of the coneflowers this fall.  And they broke off, never to return.  The seedheads still stand largely unharvested.  This is sheer laziness.  The birds can just snag a fat old sunflower seed and that's it.  Coneflower takes more work.  Evidently too much for the goldfinches.  So the lesson is: Grow Flowers to Look At.  The birds are no help!

Birds of December: Goldfinch

As we slide towards the shortest day of the year and really appreciate that winter is upon us, it's a great time to reflect on the backyard birds that are our companions for the journey.  Today we'll think about the goldfinches.  American Goldfinch is a true rascal around here, demonstrating a profound appetite for seed and a finicky inability to be a regular at the feeders.  Through November I didn't see too many goldfinches although I know they're around, and consumption has not been too bad in their absence!  They're no longer the most colorful of the usual suspects (I leave that to the cardinals and Pine Warblers) but they are surprisingly welcome sights in winter.  And I am pretty certain I'll be counting a decent number in February's Great Backyard Bird Count once they return to the feeders.  All I need them to do first is clean out the last of the coneflower seeds!

The Drab Time

A yard-oriented Saturday is an excellent time to observe the backyard birds during daylight hours.  At least, it is generally my only chance!  And while laboring in the fields I noted that the male American goldfinches are definitely in their winter plumage.  Drab and muted.  I imagine that they are relieved not to stand out in blazing yellow in winter and double their chances of being nailed by a hawk.  But the fact I spotted them today also means: they're baaaaaaa-ack!  and the sunflower seed should really start disappearing under a finchy assault.  It's neat to see the change of plumage.  But it also means cold weather is coming.  Dangnabit.

Missing Finches

And just like that: the finches vanished.  My favorite little seed eaters with prodigious appetites effectively disappeared from the scene over a week ago.  There are some birds that are present now and then, but the seed tubes have hardly emptied in many days.  So what's going on?  One distinct possibility is that seedy natives are being exploited.  One can't blame any bird for seeking a little change of diet so long as the food is easily accessible.  I have no clear idea where these plants are but weedy and meadowy patches are reasonably common in the immediate area, especially near our pond.  Another is that something discouraged the birds, perhaps in the line of predators.  And they have therefore found other feeders that seem safer.  This is not one I am sweating. Finches eat a lot and any vacation from that onslaught is rather welcomed here.  And the finches always return.  Always. 

No Nyjer For Me

I had a chat with a friend trying to lure goldfinches to her property, and she mentioned using nyjer seed---but was disappointed with uneven results.  Namely: the birds won't accept a refilled sock.  And I have been there.  Goldfinches are notoriously finicky with this seed and I've thrown too much of the pricey stuff out.  I suggested what I have done myself and that is to scrap the nyjer and offer only black oil sunflower seed.  The goldfinches love it and it holds up longer.  It may be fun to watch finches cling to the sock but it is too expensive a look!  No nyjer for me!

Birds and Natives

It is indeed a pleasant thing to see birds eating the natural stuff.  It's mighty marvelous to see American Goldfinches prying seeds out of native wildflowers.  And my beloved caught this picture of one working at a dried up Purple Headed Coneflower.  This is why I am installing natives in the gardens.  The flowers are wonderful to enjoy, and the birds get a proper energy boost from their seeds.  I am hoping to see more of this scene in years to come! 

Feeding Frenzy

One would think there are now plenty of seeds for the goldfinches.  At least, in my gardens, there are many seed heads.  And the goldfinches do visit these from time to time.  But where these rascals are really spending their time is the sunflower seed feeders!  Great glory, it seems that the entire tribe in our area has turned out in force.  Long experience with goldfinches merely confirms that I do not understand them.  They are fickle and unpredictable.  Sometimes vanishing for long periods of time, and sometimes crowding out the tube feeders.  Well, at least the feeding frenzy is colorful!

The Last Nesters

It occurred to me today that the male American Goldfinches are probably as dazzling as they will be for another eight months.  Why?  They're surely engaged in food collection for youngsters.  The goldfinches are pretty much the last of the line for this breeding season and July is their busy season.  Parenting takes its toll on plumage, so they'll be ready to molt as soon as the dust settles.  Then it is on to drab winter colors.  Let's keep our eyes on the brilliant yellows while we can!

Going For Gold

This year will see a new experiment in the feeding of wild birds.  And that is that I am permitting some sunflowers to grow up and provide a real-world feeding experience to our seed-eaters like the American Goldfinch.  The blooms are now coming out and are being busily pollinated by bees.  And I must admit the flowers are cheery things.  I have not had one flower at home since I was a kid.  But we will see exactly what happens.  It may be that the squirrels maul the things once they sense ripened seeds are available.  I hope the birds get there first.  In any case, within two weeks there should be some fun.  I'll post an update once I see what takes place...

Goldfinches Getting Excited

With all of the wildflowers we have (an expanding collection now at 45 species), it is inevitable that some seed eating bird will get interested and excited about a coming food source.  And indeed over the weekend I caught sight of an American Goldfinch poking about the fast blooming Helianthus.  I am so sorry I was unable to capture an image: the male fit right in with the bright yellow flowers.  I suspect he knows what is coming later this summer -- seeds galore, right sized for the finches!  But he must wait.  That will be a few more weeks coming.  For now...my sunflower seed feeders will be the main squeeze.

A Curious Sight

I am endlessly fascinated by the parade of birds that visit baths, by which ones are used (high or low), and for what purposes.  And I get terribly excited when I see something new.  Today, that was finding this photo of goldfinches---that I don't remember seeing at a bath---and at the ground level one.  Goldfinches always seem to prefer altitude when feeding, and yet this pair chose the other option.  But little will be answered today.  Did they stop only for a drink? and why now? There's just not enough data to see behavior clearly.  But what a sight!

Gone Again

Goldfinches are fickle, fickle, fickle.  And they're unpredictable.  Feed them in winter, and they disappear in spring.  Put out seed they like, and they vanish.  We had finches galore this past winter (and House finches, AND siskins!) but I don't see any now.  The seed pig House Finches are a fixture, but the goldfinches follow their own beat.  And Lord knows where the little monsters got to.  From past experience I suspect they are not all that far away.  They may even be raiding other feeders given that seed volume is still a bit low.  We'll soon know if they stay away all summer!

Blazing Yellow

It is many weeks before their breeding season, but the Goldfinches are in fine form.  All the males I see are in their summer plumage and even the females are spiffier looking than they are in winter.  Perhaps the only difference I note between the seasons is that there seem to be fewer of them now.  This is not a problem: the little monsters eat rather a lot of sunflower seed.  Having three to five days between fillings is a challenge I am prepared to meet!  Somehow this is best: a few good looks at the blazing yellow at reasonable cost.  Can't beat that!