Tag: Goldfinches
Tomorrow is the Last Day of the Great Backyard Bird Count
Yesterday and today Judy and I sat for an hour on the back porch, watching birds. This was not an example of us wasting time. No, it was an example of us carrying out our responsibilities as Citizen Scientists. Specifically, we were taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Launched in 1998 and …
Lights! Camera! Goldfinch!
Judy shot this video today of a goldfinch eating seeds on the Cupplant (Silphium perfoliatum) in the front garden. Goldfinches love cupplant, and I love to watch them eat. Though they can be messy. This one must drop at least three seeds for every one he swallows. I guess that works fine from the Cupplant’s …
Busy Day at the Bird Feeder
It’s a grey day, and the snow has been coming down hard since last night. And when it snows, there are lots of hungry customers for the bird feeders in the back garden. Cardinals, goldfinches, house finches, and chickadees crowd around the platform feeder for sunflower seeds, with occasional forays to the peanut feeders. Woodpeckers …
Last Plant Standing: Fall vs. Spring Garden Clean Up
One way to classify gardeners is based on whether they remove dead plant material in fall or spring. Mostly I’m a spring cleaner. Birds and bugs are my primary reason. The other day I watched goldfinches feeding on the seed heads of yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), one of the late season sights I love. These …
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