I write every day. Sometimes I even blog.
The sunflower patch is getting so ratty looking, I’m considering cutting them all down. But just when I begin to contemplate such drastic action, I come round the corner of the house and get rewarded by the up and down swoops of a goldfinch flying away. I can’t cut the sunflowers down yet! There are […]
Read More In which I inflict a grainy photo of a goldfinch on youIt’s so amazing when these bright bits of canary yellow come swooping into the yard. That’s how you know that the coneflower seeds are ripe. Sunflower seeds are good, too, but only straight from the flowerhead. Goldfinches are so exacting about what they eat, but when they find something they like, they seem to really […]
Read More When the goldfinches show up, you know you’re dong something rightWant to eat from the sunflower? Take a number!
Read More Sunflower buffetThe sunflowers are so pretty right now. Some of them are dressing up in russety orange. Honeybees come and meticulously work their way around the rings, getting every bit of pollen and nectar from the flowers. And when the sunflowers go to seed, forget how ratty they look. Goldfinches will arrive and it’s pretty all […]
Read More Pretty, pretty sunflowersIn the last few weeks, the coneflowers have started going to seed, and looking all raggedy. Part of that is just the flowers fading to grey-pink. Part of that is the goldfinches stopping by in the mornings, wearing such a bright yellow it wakes you up just to look at them, to pick the freshest […]
Read More Goldfinches in the morningWell, well, well. There is indeed a goldfinch visiting my hacked feeder. He was a little hard to spot, first because he’s wearing winter clothes, but mostly because he’s only showing up in the morning. Nice to see you, little guy!
Read More The goldfinch in winterI’ve had mixed luck feeding goldfinches with fresh nyjer seed. The main problem is the feeder holds far more seed than the birds will eat. I think I finally have a solution.
Read More Feeder HackIt’s still raining, but that’s not slowing down these goldfinches. One stuck to the nyjer feeder, while others foraged on the coneflower seed heads. Everyone is wearing their winter plumage, so I guess I won’t be seeing any wild canary-yellow birds zooming by until next summer. Still, with that buff background, the white borders on […]
Read More Birds on a rainy dayThe coneflowers are now way past bee fodder. The seed heads are ripe, which means now the coneflowers are feeding goldfinches. So long as the regular feeders are full of black oil sunflower, it’s easy to keep the cats entertained with flocks of sparrows and house finches. (And yes, I’m afraid that is how they […]
Read More GoldfinchesAlready that huge sunflower has gone from a feast for bees to a feast for goldfinches.
Read More The sunflower is dead, long live the sunflower
Writing Every Day 