Good morning from In the Garden in Tennessee! It's been a wonderful winter in the garden and today I thought I'd share some bird watching pictures.
All of the birds love the nearby koi pond for a water source when it is icy outside. I so enjoy watching them drink here!
I believe this to be a female
An American goldfinch. The birds here adore black oil sunflower seeds. I tried feeding them striped sunflower seeds and they really didn't like them at all. It was surprising to me. I have a good plan to supply the birds (and bees) with lots of sunflowers this morning and in fact, have already seeded the sunflower seeds last month!
An American goldfinch.
A female
I planted an Edgeworthia chyrsantha, aka Paperbush right next to my bird feeding area and I must say that was a great choice! I get to look at flowers and birds and the fragrance is amazing! The flower buds look like this all fall and winter. Right now the buds are just beginning to open up and show some yellow. I have found this shrub is favored by all the birds for a stopping spot right next to the feeders. As a bonus, the birds seem to get some pollen from the flowers.
An American goldfinch and probably a male
Some kind of a finch. Probably a female purple finch-note the white striping on her head.
An American goldfinch.
Purple or house finch? I can't tell the difference.I think purple. Definitely a purple finch due to the straightness and chunkiness of the bill.
More finches.
I get a kick looking at the nearby trees where the little finches gather to get some food. One day I looked out the window and there were several large oak trees, in addition to this small willow oak tree, filled with finches. I could not believe there were so many birds. All of these birds feeding here have attracted the attention of some local hawks. So far there hasn't been any carnage that I have seen and I am grateful for that. Bird watching is so fun....
in the garden....
Be sure to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count coming up from February 17-20, 2017.
oh girl you have Purple Finches at your feeder. If you look at the female you can see the white strip above her eye. Both look a bit chunkier than the house finches. The male has a more rosy coloring and it goes down its breast/sides and doesn't have the more pronounced stripping like the house finch. House finch males are more red and it doesn't carry down the breast so far it turns to stippling. What fun to have these birds eating at the bird buffet. Black oil seeds have more nutrients than the striped seeds. It has been warmer here than normal but I can't plant any seeds yet.
ReplyDeleteOMG thank you so much! I was thinking perhaps some of these were purple finches. When I did the bird count one year I put down purple finches. I then got an email from a professor in Nashville who worked for the bird count, saying purple finches are not normally in my area in the winter so could I relook at the identification or did I perhaps have a photograph. Well now I do!!! I must study up on them soon. Thanks! It's been a great winter here and I'm glad you are having a good one too Lisa!
DeleteYou are certainly providing for a variety of birds. What a treat to have them live in your garden. Thanks for sharing the photos.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina! It's good to see you back to blogging and what a marvelous flock in your backyard! Great photos!
ReplyDeleteCracking shots. :-) I have taken to watching the birds in our garden and their little interactions. Especially when the two local wood pigeons arrive to eat all the seeds my wife puts out in the garden.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Lovely pictures.
ReplyDeleteI understand these finches are very shy and fly away if they see any human movement.
I have enjoyed bird watching since I was a child. I just love living in the woods where we have an abundance of them around the gardens. Our resident hawks have started to nest in the back woods this year instead of the front woods. Unfortunately, the neighbors near their nesting spot, has chickens. Not sure how this will work out but only time will tell. We have finches at our feeders especially during the winter months. And as you, I find it difficult to determine whether Purple or House...
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