A cold front moved in yesterday and whenever that happens all sorts of birds flock to our feeders. This morning, I’ve seen Juncos, Bluebirds, Cardinals, Chipping Sparrows, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, Inca Doves, and dozens of Goldfinches.
As you might be able to make out in the photo, the males Goldfinches are shedding their drab winter coat and taking on their bright yellow, black, and white, spring plumage. They must be about ready to begin migration, because in past years they leave our feeders just before they turn color completely, and we never get to see them dressed in their finest.
Bird migration is difficult to understand sometimes. Purple Martins leave this area between late August and mid-September, when food is still plentiful. Then they begin their northward journey in late December, and reach as far as the Oklahoma border by the first week of February, when flying insects are few and far between for days on end.
I just checked the map at http://purplemartin.org/scoutreport/scout.php?Y=2010&S=TX and the first scouts have already been reported about 100 miles south of here, so they are once again on schedule. All I can say is they better enjoy eating seeds and berries, because 30-degree weather is going to keep the flying insects in hibernation.
1 comment:
Here in upstate NY we have goldfinches year round. We have a couple of home made feeders hanging from the eves in frot of the windows (it's the only way to keep them safe from squirrels) and we feed them year round. They do get rather drab in the winter, but when they don their glorious gold they really light up the whole room. The feeders are 4-foot plastic tubes, originally sold to protect flourescent bulbs. I buy them at Lowes, and install perches, feeder holes, etc. Each tube will feed 14 finches at a time, and you can imagine the color we get from that!
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