American Goldfinch Eating Coneflowers
Finally! It took me a while, but here is photographic proof of why you should not cut any dead coneflower heads. This American Goldfinch was chowing down and enjoying it so much that it ignored me. I frequently hear and occasionally see them dining like this, but never when my camera is near or I am close to them. Many plants end up producing delicious seeds in their…less aesthetically pleasing stages…and should be left alone as a meal for many forms of wildlife, or even just to propagate their species. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreAmerican Goldfinch on Cutleaf Coneflower
This American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) posed so delightfully for a split second while dining on this Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)…and we wonder why they are gold…what perfection.
Read MoreConeflower Seeds
Here is where I would be posting a photo of a gorgeous American Goldfinch feeding on the seed heads of mature Eastern Purple Coneflowers, but sadly whenever I am outdoors I either flush the birds unintentionally first, or I get to watch them without a camera in my hand. Fingers crossed for the future…but you should leave your coneflowers be and resist pruning them even when they are wilting and getting “ugly” so that the birds can enjoy a seed feast in the late summer and fall. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreSnow Bunting Row
These Snow Buntings are all lined up and ready to launch to the north soon as they continue to molt into a brighter, whiter snowy color every day. Birds are getting their feathers set for spring and to look their best when finding a mate. What does this arrangement on the roof look like to you? Caption it!
Read MoreAmerican Goldfinch
This American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is still molting into its wintering look while enjoying the pine cones on this black pine tree. Though not native, black pines are a huge fall magnet for birds, and this one tree alone also had Black-capped Chickadee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and White-throated Sparrow in it. Will we be seeing conifers filled with White-winged and Red Crossbills soon? Or at least more Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls in the area? Perhaps so judging by how many American Goldfinch seem to have moved recently, and the reports of other finches to our north.
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