Appreciation of Our Year Round Birds

I am very guilty of many times overlooking the beauty of our year round birds over the excitement of migratory species that come in. Today was a prime example of being so busy and intent on getting a shot of the hummingbird with the "ruby-throat" showing that I almost did not observe the Goldfinches that were nearby.


What a loss that would have been. I suppose seeing them almost daily at the thistle sock and scrounging among the dried cone-flower seed heads, they become the norm. But much would be missed by not observing them in nature seeing what they eat in the wild.

I am not really sure what these plants are, most would classify them as just a weed. To the Goldfinches, they appear to be fine dining. Twice today when I visited the area, there were always at least a half dozen birds manuevering for the best position and seed heads. Their lively antics of hanging upside down in many cases and guarding their find made for fun viewing.

Soon they will begin their fall molt and their appearance will drastically change to a far more subdued coloration. Come spring, they will once again molt taking on a brighter more sunny appearance. A sure sign spring has arrived.