Archive for March, 2009
Fun Facts About Goldfinches
Golfinches are found just about everywhere. They remind me of a sunny day. They add bright color wherever they are, and you can’t help but love them. As promised, here are some fun facts about Goldfinches:
- Goldfinches are sometimes referred to as wild canaries. They are actually in the finch family-just as their name suggests.
- They have an interesting flight call with four syllables that can be likened to “potato chip”.
- They are common feeder visitors that prefer thistle (nyjer seed) and sunflowers. They are rather acrobatic, and often dip upside down feeding on weed seeds like sunflowers and coneflowers. Goldfinches will hang upside down to eat, but experiments with specially designed bird feeders have shown that they prefer to dine upright if possible.
- Goldfinches usually lay 5 pale-blue or greenish-blue eggs that will hatch in about 12 days. Babies will fledge about 12 days after hatching. An interesting side note is that the nest cleaning is ceased about a week after the babies hatch.
- Goldfinches don winter clothes: the dull green coat of feathers grown each fall has an especially dense layer of soft, plumaceous feathers to provide extra insulation.CLICK ON THE YELLOW FEEDER BELOW For MORE INFORMATION:
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Follow Your Dream
Every once in a while, I just watch the birds and read. Today they were at my window bird feeders and they brought me so much joy. The squirrel proof feeder was driving my little squirrel nuts (that a good thing). And the bird bath that has thawed completely was a busy place for some of my feathered friends as well. I sat back and found myself daydreaming while they played. Once I came to, I went to wash my mug which had contained my coffee. Written on the mug was this poem. It fit right in with how was a feeling about this lovely spring day. So, I decided to share it with you.
FOLLOW YOUR DREAM
A dream is a daring adventure
A journey to carry you far-
For when you can hold a dream in your heart,
You surely can reach any star!
A dream is a beautiful vision
That looks beyond what you can see,
Then lifts you and guides you
And grows strong inside you
To help you be all you can be.
A dream is your door to tomorrow,
A secret reflection of you,
A threshold that leads to a wonderful future
Where nothing’s too good to be true.
Birds on the Balcony
Apartment living has its benefits. Residents don’t have to worry about taking care of a yard or other maintenance involved with living in a house. When you lead a busy life balancing work and your personal life, it’s hard to find time to clean your apartment, let alone tend a yard.
But just because you’re too busy to take care of a yard doesn’t mean you have no appreciation for nature. If your apartment has a balcony you have the opportunity to bring nature to you. Just install a couple of bird feeders on your deck. This way you can enjoy bird watching without even having to go outside.
The Feel Of the Skinny Branch
“Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.” Victor Hugo
Getting out on the skinny branches can be a bit scary. Just knowing that we DO have wings, and if we take the leap we will have the wind beneath them, makes us more willing to get on those branches from time to time. Go ahead! You will learn so much about yourself. You will gain faith in yourself. And, every time you do it, it gets easier.
Every single time I get out my binoculars to watch the birds and their gymnastics and antics, I am amazed the courage of our fine feathered friends. Just watching it makes me feel like doing it myself - spread my wings and fly after stepping out on the skinny branch.
Go For The Gold-Finch
The Goldfinche’s ever changing color sometimes confuses folks as to who they are. In the spring and summer, Goldfinches are recognized by their black wings, black tail and yellow body. In fall they molt their body feathers and appear to be a duller green. The males and females look quite similar. In spring and summer, however, the sexes look very different.
In later summer, the male defends a small territory of about 1/4 acre. Within this, the female builds a compact nest made of downy fibers, such as thistle down and the dried bark of milkweed stems. The young Goldfinches are some of the last baby birds to be born each year. The little ones follow their parents around into September begging for food.
Goldfinches love to feed on tube feeders. Fill them with nyjer, thistle seed, or a Finch mix. The most popular feeder with the finches in my back yared is the a triple tube feeder . It has 24 feeding stations and you can see all 0f them at once. The second favorite is a spiral feeder.
Always completely empty old seed from your feeders and mix with new and totally refill the feeder. You will get many more birds this way. Simply topping off your feeders packs the seed in the bottom.
Enjoy these little feathered friends all season long with little to no efforts. They will add so much color and delight to your back yard.
Next I will tell you some fun facts about the Goldfinches.
Attracting the colors of spring to YOUR Backyard
Eastern Bluebird
As I sit here looking out at my bird feeders all covered with eager and hungry birds, I cannot help but notice how wintry things still look, with the anticipation of the spring. Birds bring color and joy to my backyard and I want to do everything I can to encourage them to spend some time here. So I would like to share with you some of the things I will be doing in the next couple of weeks to bring the red, the blue, the orange and even the green of the little Hummer to my backyard.
It is exciting that in the days ahead lots of birds who have gone elsewhere for the winter will soon be returning. Oh, I can hardly wait for all the color and activity. There will be brilliant Bluebirds, dazzling and acrobatic Hummingbirds, bright yellow Goldfinches, Orange Orioles & more. And, the good news is that you don’t have to keep the birds feeders filled to attract them. We’re going to start with the Bluebird.
THE BLUEBIRD
I always gasp excitedly when I see a bluebird. The sheer beauty of the male as he is reflected in the sun is a joy to behold. The key to attracting Bluebirds to nest in your yard is having plenty of potential nesting locations, food and water. Bluebirds do prefer more “open areas”, so if your yard is heavily wooded you’ll enjoy many other nesting birds - but probably not Bluebirds.
You will need nesting boxes. Our favorite is the Ultimate Nest Box mainly because of of the Plexiglas side for viewing and the overall durability and low maintenance You will also need nesting materials. This also provides a lot of fun while watching them pull it apart. It can actually be entertaining. The female Bluebird lays 4 to 5 light blue eggs that will take 13 to 15 days to hatch. The male brings food to his mate and young during the first few days of feeding. If you want to provide food to help and attract the Bluebirds the best thing you can offer is Mealworms (YUMMM!)
Year round and especially in winter, a key to keeping Bluebirds around is to offer a supply of water. Planting berry bushes like the American Bittersweet in the spring will also provide a food source for the Bluebirds next winter. So what are you waiting for? Get your houses up, meal worms and water out and just site back and watch for the brilliant blue to appear!
Next we will see what we need to attract the Goldfinch.