Goldfinches (Wild Canaries) Confirm Arrival of Spring

These photos are for my colleague who mentioned that she noticed the goldfinches were changing colors.
I noticed yesterday that someone visited the Colvin Run Habitat Blog looking for pictures of wild canaries. Just a reminder that 'wild canary' is a name many times given to American goldfinches in their summer plumage. I previously posted photos showing the change of color in goldfinches.
In the Colvin Run Habitat, yesterday was the first time this season that a male goldfinch (sorry, the females stay in a dull, olive plumage) was observed in this 'wild canary' plumage. Like the arrival of the Bradford pear tree flowers, the bright yellow goldfinches are a sure sign that spring has really arrived.

Chickadee and Goldfinch Visit Hummingbird Feeder

We saw yesterday that others (such as the squirrel) enjoy drinking the sugar water from the hummingbird feeder. While I have seen other small birds come to the hummingbird feeder, they normally just drink from the pan of plain water that keeps the ants out - as in these first two photos of an American Goldfinch and the third photo of a Carolina Chickadee.
While I have read about other birds drinking the hummingbird's sugar water, I had never observed it. Until last evening. As the sun was setting, a number of different birds showed in the Habitat - including the chickadee seen in the fourth photo. The chickadee, like the hummingbird, must have a long tongue to actually reach the nectar in the feeder.Oh, of course, last evening three different hummingbirds visited the feeders (see the last three photos, actually the last two were taken the next afternoon).

American Goldfinches in Spring Colors

Three weeks ago, I wrote that the male American Goldfinches were showing signs of spring.

Well earlier this week, the male American Goldfinches fully completed their change to their spring/summer colors. Last fall, I wrote about their change from summer to fall/winter colors, and now they have completed the circle.

American Goldfinch Shows Another Sign of Spring

Even as snow fell late on Friday afternoon, two addition signs of spring were clearly visible in the Colvin Run Habitat.
The male American goldfinch is clearly beginning to show his summer, bright yellow feathers. The first photo shows one of the Male goldfinches perched in the dogwood tree, whose increasing red and full buds and shoots are the second sign of spring.
The second photo shows one of the males with several females, who will remain olive throughout the summer, with a house finch in the background.

Woodpeckers in the Snow

Yesterday’s snow and last night’s sleet put a beautiful white highlight across the entire Colvin Run Habitat. A pair of downy woodpeckers (first two photos), a sparrow (third photo), and an American goldfinch (last photo) arrived today to create more peaceful winter photos. Of course, the cardinals posed yesterday.

Christmas Card Pose

An increasingly popular Christmas card captures the various member of the family. This is an especially great way to show friends and family how the kids have grown over the last year. Well, here is the first of my Christmas cards from the Colvin Run Habitat with many of the family shown.

Actually, this is a great time for backyard birding as the bare trees provides a great view of the birds and there are large numbers and varieties always just hanging around.

In this shot, we have a male and female pair of cardinals, an American goldfinch (in winter olive garb) at the tube feeder, a female downy woodpecker at the suet feeder, and a wren at the peanut butter feeder. Then there is a bird hanging on the strings to the tray feeder - this is the back end view of a white-breasted nuthatch.

Anyway, I thought you would enjoy this holiday buffet of Habitat birds.

On a sadder note, I wrote about the show that the fox put on for all of the human visitors on Thanksgiving Day. I am sad to say that he has not been seen since (about three weeks now). I am even sadder to say that animals (especially deer) are often killed on the 4 lane road near the Habitat and that a fox is one of the recent victims. There is no way to verify that he is one of the summer's Habitat residents, but I am concerned given the close location. I'll report to you as soon as he returns to his throne in the Habitat bush.

The Changing of the Colors

While the male cardinal wears his bright red color all year long, the male American Goldfinch changes color twice a year. The first two photos show the male goldfinch in his bright yellow plumage – which is the reason many folks, including my dad, call him a wild canary.
These first two photos were taken during the first week of July, which is prime nesting time of the American goldfinch. The last two photos were taken during the third week of October and show the male wearing his winter duller, tan plumage.
The American Goldfinch is a common resident in the Colvin Run Habitat. The parents bring the young to the thistle seed feeder soon after they start flying. So, during late July and August, there is always a considerable number feeding in the Habitat.