Adding Color to the Story

 

A torrentail rain fell last nigh around 3 AM.  That is cause enough for celebration around here.  The new pine seedlings and all the other trees we've recently planted are so much the better because of it.  Yet, in this morning's light was another cause for celebration.  It is so good to get to see the American Goldfinches in full regalia.  Often in the Lost Pines area we only see them in winter drab.  This year is proving exceptional.

Also, it would seem time for Pine Siskins to be moving on, but they linger.  So, the cousins are captured together in this photograph.

Not a bad way to begin the spring.

Good Companions

Lesser Goldfinch by Bill Ravenscroft



The cousins were present on my walk down the river road this morning.

No ordinary cousins of mine.  Siskins were joined by the Goldfinches in the seed bearing dried forbs on the side of the road.  The Siskins were far more numerous and greedy.  They flashed their yellow patches in the sunlight as they flit about.  The arm bands of the Goldfinches are more diagnostic at this time of year, for they lack the brightness and color of the breeding season.  It is the winter season after all.

Sorry, you power walkers; you would have missed my good companions.  I had planned to walk briskly, but I was prepared to stop and take notice.  I intentionally stood and craned my neck toward the sky and was rewarded.  The hue of it was more the royal blue of morning rather than the pastel pale blue of an afternoon sky.

Birders are a lucky group. They, getting up with the dawn, find good feathered companions and diverse habitat, a gift of the day free for the taking.  To wit, there is a snag overlooking the river upon which, high up near the top, a Red Shoulder Hawk I often notice.  Today, he was there.  I am glad to say my binoculars were in hand and I was afforded a good look.  His breast was tawny red.  Such a graceful flier, too, shoulder patches visible, distinctly held wings –away it flew deeper into the woods, having had enough of my disturbance.  The five squirrels in the oak below did not look appetizing either, I guess.  Or perhaps, it had already breakfasted on amphibians and crawfish from the riverside.

I do wish more of you would join us who take joy in the observation of nature and become our good companions, too.  You can so easily.  This is an activity that one can take on in youth, in maturity, in mid-life.  It can be as leisurely or strenuous as anyone desires.  It takes you from the hustle, bustle of normal living and grants you tranquility.

I walk on and notice Eastern Phoebes, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Blue Jays and sparrows.  The “sweet, sweet” call notes of the Downy I hear, and it makes me pause to find the little bird in a pecan.  As I near where my car is parked, upon the grassy knoll, almost a dozen meadowlarks parade.  Which are they, Western or Eastern?  Stop. Wait. Listen.  Ah yes, the melody is of the Western. 

Work calls, Reluctantly, I go. Reluctantly…I go.

Fun for Peanuts

If you are looking for a way to extend the fun in your own backyard and you want to do it for peanuts, then I recommend getting a peanut feeder. 

When starting to feed the birds I always recommend using black oil sunflower seed or BOSS as it is known.  This is a highly nutritious food that attracts a variety of birds.  Feeding just one type of food in a particular feeder eliminates the considerable spillage and waste associated with mixes.

Downy Photographed by Roy Smallwood

Yet, if you would like to see a few more unusual species then you need to expand your feeders and feed.  Thus, get yourself a peanut feeder and fill it with cracked, shelled peanuts.  You’ll have the enjoyment of Downy Woodpeckers and Red Bellied Woodpeckers, but also Orange Crowned Warblers, Pine Siskins, perhaps Pine warblers, and more.

Anticipation

 

It’s that time of year in which I anticipate the arrival of Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches. The goldfinches arrive in their more drab plumage to be sure.  However, as time progresses, one can watch the molting to their more impressive brighter colors.

It is for precisely the opposite reason I enjoy the siskins.  There is only a hint of any color on the wings of siskins.  Such a lack of color often leads to many dismissals of these bird as just more sparrows.  Look closely and it makes considerable difference.

We must get the thistle/Nyjer feeders out, cleaned and full of seed, of course.

Pine Siskins of the Piney Woods

Would you have guessed that the Pine Siskin and the American Goldfinch are closely related?  For instance, look at their bills.  The Siskin has a thin and pointed bill while the Goldfinch has a bill that is conical.  The Siskin’s plumage makes it look more like a sparrow with all its streaking while the Goldfinch is brightly colored, especially breeding males.

 Both the Siskin and the goldfinches are members of the carduline finches.   Siskins are also related to the redpolls.  Carduline finches are among the smallest of finches and range in color from yellow and black to streaky brown.  Female carduline finches resemble non-distinct sparrows and wood warblers.

Pine Siskins often migrate in flocks where they mix with American Goldfinches. Both will come to feeders filled with either black oil sunflowers or with Nyjer. Pine Siskins can be identified by their forked tail, heavily streaked body, and a touch of yellow on their wing bars. Sometimes one must look hard to see this yellowish patch.