Weekend Birding: American Goldfinch
Sometimes I spend hours trying to get a photo of a bird and other times a shot just happens.
A few weeks ago I was looking over my flower garden, camera in hand, ready to take some close-ups of whatever was in bloom that day. Out of nowhere a male goldfinch landed on one of the plants, looked up at me and paused for a few seconds. He froze just long enough for me to get a clear shot and then he moved on.
In the spring and summer the males are a beautiful bright yellow with a black cap. In contrast the females are a dull yellow. In the winter both male and female turn a dull grayish brown. They are the only finch that molts twice a year, once in late winter and again in late summer.
Click on the photo to the left for a larger view of a female.
For more bird photos check out my previous Weekend Birding posts.
I link up my bird photos on Saturday Snapshot hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
Under My Apple Tree 
Gorgeous photo, Leslie! I have two different types of Goldfinches that winter here.
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Yes, you get the Lesser’s which never come this far north. I’m always amazed at how many different birds there are in the southwest.
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We’re in the major migratory pattern for many species, and many winter here. I love going down to spend a week in Cochise County in January. Cochise County is one of the prime birding spots in the world, and January is a great time to be there to see thousands of Sandhill Cranes– among many other species. There’s also a spot here in Phoenix where I like to go to see birds wintering.
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Good thing you have a steady hand. Sometimes, when I have the camera and I get too excited to shoot straight, the result will always be not the intended object of interest. Haha Thank goodness of anti-shake features in cams today. lolz Lovely thing to stay and pose for you.
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I find it much easier to hold a DSLR steady than a point and shoot camera. I’m forever grateful to a photographer in my bird group that told me I was holding my camera wrong. Well, not wrong, but there was a better way. I made the correction and now my pictures are much better.
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What luck! Such a great shot of a beautiful bird.
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Thankfully I was lucky enough to be holding my camera! He only gave me a few seconds.
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Oh Wow! Such a clear photo, your patience has paid off. Great photo
Have a good weekend
carol
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I keep my camera on the kitchen counter on the weekends. But for this one I happened to be out in the garden when he flew in.
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What vibrant colors! THat is a great photo.
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They’re such pretty birds, aren’t they? We get them in our back yard too.
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And cheerful birds too. I like the way they sing while they fly and while they eat.
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I love goldfinches. One swooped in from of my car they other morning and he took my breath because he was so beautiful.
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I have learned so much about birds from your blog!
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It always amazes me at how adept you are at capturing these great close-ups! You are definitely a professional.
I love the yellow colors on these. Normally, I favor the red ones, but these gold ones are fabulous.
Here’s MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT
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The red ones are pretty too and they come to my yard year-round. I’ll be featuring them in the next few months.
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I love the photo and the info we always learn about the birds. Do goldfinches fly south for the winter?
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They will migrate away from very cold areas like Canada and the north central US, but they stay in most states all winter. I have them in my yard year round. If you want them to visit you all winter put up a nyjer thistle feeder. They love thistle.
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Your photos are great!The goldfinches here are so different from these! They have little red faces and brown and white bodies with black and gold wings. It’s hard to get photos as they don’t stay long on the bird feeders when I get the camera out.
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Thanks. Your goldfinches look like a completely different species with their cute little red faces. One time on a holiday I snapped a picture of a cute little bird with a red face. When I got home and looked him up I found it was a European Goldfinch. Cute!
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Enjoyed looking at the photographs!
Here is my Saturday Snapshot post!
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I love goldfinches but I don’t get many at my feeder — lots of purple finches, tho.
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I get very few purple finches. And when they do show up they are camera shy! If you want to attract goldfinches put out a nyjer thistle sock. They can’t resist, it’s like gourmet food for them.
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Leslie, I love the bird wisdom you share each week!
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Hi!
Awesome shot! He’s very pretty. Have a great day!
Sherrie
Just Books
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Wow! That is just gorgeous! Very cool that he stopped and posed for you. 🙂
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Holy cow that is a great shot! He has such beautiful coloring and I love the position he is in, like he’s ready to dive-bomb something.
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They like to eat the seeds from the wildflowers. I think that’s what he intended to do, but when he looked up and saw me he decided to be safe and blast off.
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That is a great photo. You really must be patient.
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I call it patient but others say I’m just stubborn and won’t stop until I get my shot. For this photo though I got lucky.
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He’s so beautiful and I love the pose you snapped him in. The black cap gives him a jaunty and mysterious air and the orange beak makes me think he looks to have a sense of humor! I wish the female was more colorful!
I love your weekly bird photos – Thank you!
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He sure is dressed in his finest summer feathers.
Since Goldfinches nest in the open on tree branches it’s probably safer for the female to be a dull color since she is the one who sits on the nest.
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Great colors! Love yellow and black together!
Here’s My Photo
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Beautiful photo!
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The goldfinch is such an adorable little bird – cheers me up just to look at them. Wonderful photos, as always, Leslie!
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How thoughtful of him! That’s a great picture.
Here’s my Snapshot!
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I think he wanted to get in the picture!
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