Unknown
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I saw something else unusual too. The baby goldfinches that have graduated to feeding themselves are on one finch feeder and the the adults are feeding on the second finch feeder hanging right next to it. Even though the one feeder is packed with adult birds, none want to move over to the less busy children's table.
You can tell the babies by their sleek, sharp new olive green feathers and dark bill. The parents look ragged as they molt from their bright yellow summer feathers to their drab winter wear. The babies are going to be here all winter, so if they find your feeder now you get to enjoy these sunny sounding birds during the bleak winter months.
In October the goldfinches separate into two groups based on age. Studies show that the birds hatched this year will stay in Michigan for the winter but their parents will go further south to winter. One thought is that the first year finches didn’t have to go through a molt and have more energy to survive a winter. But I've never noticed they were feeding at separate feeders.
Have you noticed the same or are my birds just doing something special tonight?
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Nature up close
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