Code Yellow!

The finches are back in full force!

I had been waiting to get the finch feeder back up and in action until the grass/mud dried a bit (selfish of me, I know, to keep the birds waiting just to keep my shoes from getting muddy) and now that I have put the feeders back up the little yellow members of the backyard community are back in great numbers.

The males are already almost fully yellow but there are some other birds (either young males or females) that have a more muted yellow coloring.

I love these finches because they are a pretty strong little bird! They will fight with each other when they need too (the females are a little more demure) but they always remain a sense of dignity. They sit at the feeder as if they are the sweetest thing and just keep pecking for their thistle. Only when provoked to give up their perch do they do some defending.

And in addition, the finches have such a lovely song that they sing and they do it from the tops of the tree branches of the crabapple tree like a clear and present beacon of optimism. The little finches whistle their sing-song melody with all the confidence of a bigger bird as they call out to whoever is listening. -- I know I am!