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,… Read More ›
Goldfinch
THE GOLDING OF THE FINCH
All winter, the goldfinch are a dull shade of olive and sometimes, downright beige. As summer arrives, they begin to morph into the bright yellow goldfinch we love. This year, they are changing about a month early. I’m just happy… Read More ›
BIRDS IN MORNING SNOW
Early in the season, we have an invasion of many young Goldfinch. How do I know they are young? Because their markings are unfinished with incomplete masks and wing bars. Also, they aren’t adult dark yellow. You can see the… Read More ›
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?
FOTD – September 4 – Where have all the flowers gone? I went out this morning to feed the birds and water the plants. The plants looked strange. The yellow begonias had flowers, but it was thin on leaves. The ruffled… Read More ›
BIRDS IN THE GARDEN, SQUIRRELS ON THE WATCH
We really are currently overrun by woodpeckers. When I went into the kitchen this morning, there was a Downy woodpecker clinging to the screen door begging for food. I’m pretty sure they are all breeding, too and that’s why they… Read More ›
PRIMARY COLORS
CMMC July Primary Colors Birds and flowers. I included yellow. It may not be an official primary color, but I think it’s primary. Is there anything bluer than a Bluebird? Or redder than rose? The blue of the water, the green… Read More ›
GOLDFINCHES AND A CARDINAL
Worrying as I am about the continuing drought, I ordered more seed. I hope I can at least see our little local flock through this beautiful yet frightening summer. Beautiful because the sun is always shining, yet scary because it… Read More ›
ATTACK OF THE SPARROW
These pictures look like the little birds are being attacked by a hawk. Except those little birds look pretty calm. The attacking bird was a sparrow, the European model imported in the late 1800s. He was hoping to grab some… Read More ›
PRIMARY COLORS
CMMC July Primary Colors Birds and flowers. I included yellow. It may not be an official primary color, but I think it’s primary. Is there anything bluer than a Bluebird? Or redder than rose? The blue of the water, the green… Read More ›
TWO BIRDS, ONE FEEDER
They just won’t sit still for me. I pick up the camera and they vanish. I sometimes wonder if there really were any birds or I’m just imagining them. Since all the food disappears daily, there must be something eating… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 80 – GOLDFINCHES
I’ve drawn a lot of Goldfinches. That shouldn’t be much of surprise since they are one of the most common birds I see at my feeders. They often feed in flocks and nest in the hedges at the back of… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 77 – KISSING GOLDFINCH
They look like they are kissing. Really, they are quarreling. They are playing dominance games and one bird or the other should back down. Except a lot of the time, they don’t back down. They squabble, but afterward, they go… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 74 – A GOLDFINCH AND SLEEPING DUKE
I have been flummoxed by Photoshop for years. I use it, but I’ve never quite figured out more than a very limited amount of its potential. But today, I really needed to cut out images and paste them onto clean… Read More ›
ASSORTED GOLDFINCH & A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER
I haven’t been taking bird pictures because my orchids are in the way of my windows. I don’t have a lot of usable windows with which I can work and most of them are currently covered with orchids. So, until… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 68 – THE HAPPY GOLDFINCH
He was the most cheerful little Goldfinch. If they could smile, I’m sure he’d be grinning.
SKETCHBOOK 61 – TWO GOLDFINCH
I’m not up to doing a lot of anything much today, but this drawing is ready to go. Two pretty bright goldfinch. Can’t you hear them singing?
OUR GARDEN’S NEW LOOK
It used to be when I looked out my back door, mostly I saw crabgrass. In early spring, for a while, we have dandelions and violets, but mostly it was crabgrass all summer and snow all winter — with leaves… Read More ›
TINY GOLDFINCHES
They are babies. You can tell because when you look at the photographs closely, you can actually see the baby feathers poking up on their heads and usually on their breasts, too. They grow from babyhood to adult in just… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 9 – GOLDFINCH
Undaunted by a previous failed attempt, I went back today. These aren’t bad. Imperfect, but better. It seems that like everything else, practice and keep practicing.
CHANGE IN THE AIR & ON THE WING
A month ago — October — these birds were fledglings with bits of baby feathers sticking out of their almost grown up feathers. It’s just about a month later and the birds are all full grown and eating like crazy…. Read More ›
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 