For DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH‘s “Bird of the Week,” this is our week for Goldfinch. They are here most of the year. Since the weather warmed up, some of them don’t migrate.
This is mating season. It’s a month early, but I’m glad to see the little “just post fledgling” Goldfinches show up individually and sometimes in a flock. They are born in the hedges behind our house where many birds have nests.
There must be a lot of natural wild food available. I find the feeders are still half full a day after I fill them. I’m glad they are finding food on their own. I feed them because they are hungry in the winter, but it’s also good they remember to be wild.
And finally, though not a Goldfinch, I liked this House Finch flying home following a good feed.
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Categories: #Birds, #gallery, #Photography, Anecdote, Goldfinch
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I have seen a few goldfinches in this area but they aren’t very common. I love the photos, especially the second one. That little one looks sleepy. The house finch is very common here but not as pretty as his gold cousins.
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Some of the House Finches get very bright during breeding season — but they are not native to this area. They were all being sold by pet stores until the EPA told them it was illegal. So all those pet stores just let them go — wherever they were. Now, they are in every state AND Canada. Possibly Mexico too.
The Goldfinch are 100% seed eaters, so you will see more of them if you put out seeds. Sometimes, they show up as a flock and you’ll see a dozen or more of them at a time.
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We seem to have more than our share of blue jays (mean little birds), red winged blackbirds, and chimney sweeps. The bluejays attack dogs, blackbirds eat the seeds in the gardens, and the chimney sweeps invariably end up flying around in the house looing for a way out..
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