A New Record!

Last September and October, I was routinely seeing 30-50 Goldfinches in our yard. It isn't even the end of September yet and that record was shattered this morning when I counted a whopping 63 American Goldfinches at our feeders! And that doesn't incude the 3 Pine Siskins and the 2 Lesser Goldfinches mixed into the flock. Here are a few photos...








Note how the more aggressive Pine Siskin vigorously defends its perching space.

Due to the high volume of seed being consumed, I replaced the tube feeder with one that has twice the seed capacity and all six perches on the bottom, maximizing the time between re-fills. Given that I'm typically out the door at 6:30 am and don't get home until 7:30 or 8 pm, I was getting tired of re-filling a feeder every day. The new one is also squirrel-proof and can accommodate larger birds. So far, it's been a pretty big hit.



In other news, a small flock of Dark-eyed Juncos was seen yesterday morning, further indicating that Fall is upon us. I've also seen more Chestnut-backed Chickadees (above) lately. Things are beginning to get interesting.