Birding.

[MikeandRong]

This yearling Female Cardinal came in chirping away and all puffed up trying to act intimidating to the other birds. It only worked for a moment as the Male House Finch came in to feed too and she quickly took on a more submissive posture.

 

 

[MikeandRong]

Late afternoon this full sized adult Male Goldfinch spent more time pecking out the thistle seeds than eating them. I heard him singing while flying in long before I saw him, what a loud voice he had.

 

 

[MikeandRong]

Another Male Goldfinch showed up tonight after dinner. We are both hearing and seeing them throughout the day now, so it looks like they are back in the neighborhood again.

 

 

[MikeandRong]

Friday morning is starting out with lots of birds again. The temperature dropped almost 30 degrees from what it was 24 hours ago and they are feeding heavy again. This Female Goldfinch came in all by herself and took her time eating.

 

 

Next to come in was this baby Female Goldfinch along with her Adult Father Goldfinch keeping a very close eye on his baby girl, everywhere she went he followed immediately.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile just above them was this baby Male Goldfinch who would not come down to feed as long as the father was with his baby keeping watch over her.

 

 

Another different Male Goldfinch was sitting on the clothesline, again watching and waiting for the father and baby to finish eating and leave before coming in to feed himself.

 

 

[MikeandRong]

Here is another species that I can not identify. It was with a Female Goldfinch, so it's easy to judge its correct size. Saturday I showed the pictures to a Master Birding Expert from the University that was doing a presentation here in town and he had no idea either. Said it looked like some kind of Finch, but he did not see one of this color pattern before. Maybe it's someone's exotic pet that got free and turned wild again. It was not afraid of me and let me take over 50 different pictures from different angles of him. Anyone who knows or has a guess, please post a reply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MikeandRong]

This Mourning Dove was busy cooing and I was able to catch the time when he inflates his throat full of air to make his tell tale coo.

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by MikeandRong (see edit history)

[MikeandRong]

I have seen pictures of but never seen in person a Black-capped Chickadee with a peach colored breast. This guy landed over my head and the early afternoon sun was at the perfect angle to show the color for me to take these photos.

 

 

[MikeandRong]

Late afternoon this adult Male Goldfinch came in singing and stayed all puffed up the entire time he ate. He defiantly did not want any other company while he was feeding.

 

 

 

[MikeandRong]

After the above Male left, this adult Female Goldfinch came in with her baby boy Goldfinch. Again, just like the Father did before, this mother would not let any other bird come in until her and her baby had finished eating and had left.

 

 

 

Meanwhile this baby Male Goldfinch was perched up above just waiting his turn to be able to come in and eat too.

 

[Greg.D.]

My sister and my Merlin bird ID app are both calling your unknown an American Goldfinch, non-breeding male.

 

Your guy somehow looks sleeker to me, but maybe that's what non-breeding does for you!

[MikeandRong]

My sister and my Merlin bird ID app are both calling your unknown an American Goldfinch, non-breeding male.

 

Your guy somehow looks sleeker to me, but maybe that's what non-breeding does for you!

When I looked up non-breeding American Goldfinch pictures I too can find some nearly exact matches. It is also being called non-breeding winter plumage in some cases. I sure was curious as even though I can have them here all year and get to see their winter colors, I just never saw this, and it really caught my eye, especially this time of year. Strange the Master Birder I talked to and showed the pictures to would not have known, maybe not a real Master after all.

 

Thanks Greg, appreciate your help.

[Allon]

love'em, Mike. Don't ssssstop.

[MikeandRong]

Saturday morning this mother and yearling Hairy Woodpecker showed up together later than usual. It was getting really dark and looked like a storm was coming in fast.

 

 

Now it got dark really fast. This Male Cardinal came in to eat the black oil sunflower seeds and the camera flash went off and away he flew.

 

 

It never did rain and the sun came out. The first bird to appear was this Blue Jay.

 

 

Next was this yearling Robin still wearing his or her baby spotted colors but looking pretty well grown up.

 

[MikeandRong]

This big Male Red-bellied Woodpecker is always the first bird to show up each day. But today I finally was able to get some photos of his lower belly and the area between his legs. This orange/red colored area is what gives him his name (Red-bellied). Why nothing about the color of his head in his name I do not know.

 

 

 

 

[MikeandRong]

This has to be entered in the most ugly bird photo contest. This is an adult Male Red-winged Blackbird going through his summer head molting, where he will lose all of his feathers and grow new ones for the fall. I whistled to him and he called back forcing his eye to bulge out and look even more odd.