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Goldfinches

Discussion in 'Pets and Wildlife' started by KellyW, Feb 9, 2014.

  1. Feb 9, 2014 #1
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

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    Location:
    Redding, California, USA
    This bird is common in much of North America. I believe this is the Lesser Goldfinch although it's range overlaps with the American Goldfinch and both are present in this area.
    It was a cold, rainy, gray day yesterday (finally) so the colors are a bit muted in the photo.
    I have had lots of birds this winter probably because of the drought situation. Daily visitors include the goldfinches, purple finches, western bluebirds,northern flickers, mourning doves, Eurasian collared doves, robins, oak titmouse, black phoebe, scrub jay, mocking bird, unknown specie(s) of sparrows, red-breasted sapsucker, dark-eyed junco, California towhee, spotted towhee, unknown species of hummingbird, American crow, and unfortunately, an occasional flock of starlings :mad:. An occasional red-tailed hawk visits and at night I hear an owl although I have never seen it.
    goldfinch in flight2 mod3-1000.jpg
     
    Andreja Schulz likes this.
  2. Feb 9, 2014 #2
    nighthawk

    nighthawk Member

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    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    That's quite a wonderful list of visitors, Kelly. Here, in my little urban New York City backyard, my winter visitors have included Mockingbirds, Dark-eyed Juncos (one of my favorites!), House Finches (long-time expats from the West Coast that were introduced, here, in Brooklyn), American Goldfinches, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, White-throated Sparrows, Hermit Thrush, Northern Cardinals, and the usual mobs of House Sparrows, Starlings and Pigeons. There's often a Sharp-shinned Hawk that haunts the backyard looking for the unwary sparrow to snag. And, unfortunately, there are the occasional feral cats or pets that are let out during the day. I've had to cut down on putting out seed, this year, to prevent the feeder from becoming a buffet for the local cats. But, that whole issue of keeping pet cats indoors and what to do with ferals is for another topic, I guess.

    There are many, many other species that visit this area. We're on the Atlantic Flyway and my neighborhood is lucky to have several parks, large wooded cemetery and many community and backyard gardens nearby. I'm just happy to see anything more exotic than a pigeon in my yard. LOL

    I'm always glad to hear about what birds people have in their area. Your assortment of West Coast birds is interesting. And also interesting to hear which ones we both have. I understand that Mockingbirds, once thought to be exclusively southern, have been moving Northward throughout their range over the past few decades. Likewise with Cardinals and our local Red-bellied Woodpecker.

    I love your photo. Thanks!

    Jess
     
  3. Feb 10, 2014 #3
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    Oak Island NC
    With the snow and ice we've been getting, I keep 4 feeders and a suet basket (all under cover) full.

    This time of year, they have no yellow on them, but we have lots of goldfinches, too. Plus house finches, sparrows of some sort, juncos, titmice, cardinals, mourning doves, blue jays, starlings, Carolina wrens, nuthatches, & downy-, hairy-, and red-bellied woodpeckers at the feeder. We have also seen pileated woodpeckers in the yard, but not at the feeders. There are a pair of red-tailed hawks that have an aerie up in one of our trees (squirrels don't like that), Coopers hawks somewhere around, and a family of great horned owls that show up every few days, if you're up late enough or early enough to catch 'em. We occasionally see a peregrine falcon race through, and there's a flock of turkeys that meanders through the neighborhood.
     
  4. Feb 10, 2014 #4
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

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    Jess and Ray. Sounds like you both appreciate the backyard visitors as much as I do.

    Ray, the pileated woodpeckers would be a great treat. I used to see them frequently when I was a forester but haven't seen them in years. They are so huge and powerful. I have never knowingly seen a peregrine falcon here but we do have an occasional bald eagle pass over going between the various water bodies around us.

    Jess, we have had a sharp-shinned hawk a few times but it is not a frequent visitor. I think it just forages through here occasionally. I did an earlier post about the Great Blue Herons and Egrets that sometimes visit my little pond however, I haven't seen them for several months,

    Thanks for the responses. I enjoy birds almost as much as orchids ;)
     
  5. Feb 11, 2014 #5
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    We have Bald Eagles around two nearby reservoirs - I hope I don't see one in my back yard!

    As to peregrines - I used to have a bird feeder in the corner of the deck, right outside of a sliding glass door. Gret entertainment. Every now and then all the birds would just instantly flush and disappear. I thought that odd, along with the occasional pile of feathers and puddle of blood in the snow (cats?). Then one day I caught this streak gooing through the slats of the deck fence, loop around a tree and back as fast as I've ever seen anything, and the falcon landed on the rail. WOW!