Fuchsia & Yellow

While winter cloaks the countryside in earth tones and white, summer scenes are alive with vibrant colors.  With flowers blooming and birds displaying their breeding plumage brilliant splashes of color can be seen everywhere. 

 

While taking care of my daily chores I recently noticed that the ripening seed in a stand of thistle bordering my west pasture was attracting a large number of goldfinches.  Finding some free time this morning I setup near the thistle with a Canon 6D mounted on the 600 F4.  In a short time the brightly colored little birds returned to feed on the ripe seed heads.  The scene was a feast of color with the yellow and black birds surrounded by the beautiful fuchsia color of the newly opening blooms. 

 

Grapevine Visitors

Goldfinch Male

 

 Over thirty years ago I planted a pair of concord grapevines.  Over the years they have produced good quantities of grapes most years and provide a place for birds to congregate and even for a few species to nest.  Since the vines are only a few feet from our spare bedroom window I decided to remove the window screen and use our home as a blind for some "grapevine shots"
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A brilliantly marked Goldfinch was the bright spot of the morning was he basked in the early morning sunshine.




Northern Mockingbird
 

A Northern Mockingbird found the grapevine inviting as he perched among the new shoots singing his way through an extensive repertoire. 

Sadly the day after I shot these photographs our temperature plunged to below freezing, killing the new growth as well any hope for a crop this year.

More Garden Birds

Goldfinches are not the only birds attracted to the garden as is evidenced by this phoebe perched on the fence.  This is a species that I have been trying to capture for some time but all opportunities to date had been ones with the bird sitting on a wire.  Finally when this bird perched nearby I broke down and took a "wire shot".  I always hesitate to shoot wire shots preferring instead natural perches but apparently the phoebe prefer sitting on the wire.

 

Downy Woodpeckers are usually seen working up and down tree trunks however when a pair of Downies visited the garden they didn't hesitate to check out the okra plants and the canna lilies; climbing the plants searching for insects the same as they do on tree trunks.

 

Caught in the act, a goldfinch poses on a sunflower head with nearly all of the seeds gone.  I was hoping to harvest some seed for winter feeding however the goldfinches have different ideas. 

 

 

 

 

 

Goldfinches in the Garden

The Goldfinches are swarming to the sunflowers as the seeds ripen

 Immature birds are changing to adult plumage and adults are molting making it difficult to separate the immature from the adults.

This male perched on an okra plant exhibits the early stage of the molt.  Soon he will be sporting his new winter plumage which is little different than the female.  Just one week ago all of the males I observed were brilliant but during this mornings shoot all were molting with some more progressed than others.

Goldfinches in the Garden

Don't overlook you garden when in search of wildlife photos, particularly birds.  Heading out to look for photo opportunities, I noticed a number of birds flitting about the vegetable garden.  Among the various species goldfinches were the most prevalent.

I planted a few sunflowers among the vegetables to make my garden more attractive to birds and the goldfinches obviously love them.

I can't expect much of a harvest. The birds are picking the seeds before they can ripen.

The highlight of the morning came when this male began feeding its baby perched on the rusty garden fence.  Note the shelled sunflower seeds in the male goldfinch's beak.

 

 

Goldfinch

What could be prettier than a male goldfinch decked out in his breeding plumage?

My extended backyard encompasses a patch of ground that I maintain as a food plot for wildlife.  Last weekend I bush hogged the majority of it to encourage tender shoots of new growth to sprout.  In the middle of the plot there was a stand of thistle and mullen which I left standing.  Thistle attracts a large variety of insects and the ripened thistle seed heads are a favored food of the goldfinch.

With some of the mullen and thistle seed pods ripening I set up in a cover strip this evening to photograph the brilliant little goldfinches.  In less than an hour the goldfinches returned to feed with the ones landing closest to me perching on the dried mullen stalks.

While a closely mowed lawn appeals to the human eye allowing native plants to grow and mature where possible, along with mowing every year or two to keep down woody growth, provides a much more attractive setting for wildlife. 

The Edge of Winter

The changing of the seasons are gradual with little noticeable change from one day to the next

However as winter loosens her grip the point where ice meets open water presents a visual reference;

 "The Edge of Winter."

A Goldfinch perches beside the wetlands awaiting the change of the season.

I heard Red-winged blackbirds for the first yesterday and observed my first common grackles today.  Although official spring is still nearly a month away the signs of the changing season are unmistakable.