American Goldfinch
American Goldfinches are not very gold during the winter. The feathers which are normally yellow are a rather murky brown-green color. Yesterday I noticed that the goldfinches which visit the bird feeder are growing yellow feathers. In time, all of the murky feathers will be yellow. Today I managed to get a photograph.
Here we have an American Goldfinch with a part winter/summer coat.
The bird is eating black oil sunflower seeds from a cat food bowl.
We, mostly I, enjoy watching the birds at the feeder. Bird watching has educational value to those who want to watch and learn. Our bird feeders are set up just outside the dining room window. Our cat enjoys watching the birds almost as much as I do, maybe more, since he spends more time looking than I do. I took a photograph of him today looking out the window at the feeders.
He’s learned quite a bit, but he doesn’t seem to retain what he has learned. He bumps into the glass at least once a day.
The birds are not disturbed by his presence, at least not until he makes a racket running into the glass. The birds always fly right back.
We have had the bird feeders set up for around 3 months and we have had ground feeders (birds who eat the seed on the ground) all this time, but they are not doing a good job. Yesterday while filling the feeders and cleaning up the area a bit, I noticed some sunflowers have spouted under the feeders. Sprouts are as exciting as flowers, so seeing them was very pleasant, but then I thought about what I would do with them. Now I suppose I will have to clear an area in the sunshine away from the house and transplant the sunflower sprouts there. I would also like to plant zinnia seeds for the goldfinches. They get very excited over a long row of zinnias gone to seed.
Have a nice day! :hi:
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Cat food bowl as a birdfeeder.
Thanks for the pictures. We don’t get to see the Goldfinches here, not around our home.
We also like to watch the seeds sprout. If you wait a long time, you can find out the birds flight path from the feeder, by the trail of sprouts coming up.
We never did have a sunflower bloom.
That is very neat, Donna. I’m thinking of having DH put up some feeders for me around the house, hopefully ones that the wind won’t take down like the last one. I do enjoy watching them come and get their meals and snacke.
I have a bluebird house out my bedroom window and I have the treadmill parked in front of that window. I was watching the male today; he was quite busy. Bluebird blue is one of the most beautiful colors to me.
I’ll be keeping an eye out for more ‘yellow’.
I think the Goldfinch is my state bird. I should check on that. I have a couple of birdfeeders set up, but I can not keep the pigeons out of them. I did not have this problem last year. Hmmm…
We have goldfinches around here……everywhere. They are my favorite bird. They nest in pine trees.
I think it is hilarious that you put bird food in a cat dish!!!
Do you put food out all year?
Tanya, I don’t put food out all year.
Tressa, we used to have a problem with pigeons getting on the feeders, but this year they are feeding off the ground. I removed the tray from the perching feeder.
Sheri, I love seeing bluebirds too. Seeing them for the first time late winter is very enjoyable.
My sister used to live in the same area that you do and I noticed that the blue birds there are very very blue, either that or I was seeing Indigo Bunting.
Elaine, I hope you get some feeders set up. They are relaxing up until some other creature gets into them, then they are a diversion.
Applie, I’ll have to go look for the trail. Most of the birds fly to a nearby tree and they fly back and forth all day long.
The cat food bowl was initially used to hold beef fat for the birds and it was the only available durable bowl, but it is oddly fitting in a warped sort of way.
Donna, does your cat make a funny clicking noise while watching birds? When our cat does that we say she is talking to the birds. Probably saying, “Here birdie”.
The goldfinches change color in breeding season. Our goldfincehs love our zinnias! They will be in there, and it will look like a blossom storm, with petals flying everywhere. I imagine they are eating insects in there, but I’ve never known for sure.