American Goldfinch, female
Someone just asked us where their goldfinches were, they weren't seeing any now. Goldfinches begin breeding later than other birds and may go to breeding areas away from your feeders, if you have no good breeding habitat nearby. They nest in small trees and shrubs, often near wetland areas and place the nest 4-20 ft. high. They build a nest of strands from weeds and vines, downy filaments from wind-dispersed seeds, such as thistle, and bind the nest with caterpillar webbing. 3-7 light blue eggs are laid and incubation takes 12-14 days. The young fledge in 11-15 days. The young are out of the nest by mid-August and then, at least for us, our feeders are descended upon by newly fledged goldfinches.
5 comments:
Well, they should come here in Southern France! At the moment there's plenty!
Just this morning I counted 15 males around our feeders. I am guessing everyone else's have landed in Wyoming!
Here in Athens, GA there are plenty coming to the tube feeders and socks. We have wetlands and farmlands nearby with lots of thistle for nest building so we are lucky to see them pretty much year round.
For as many years as I can remember, I have had Goldfinches @ our feeders year round (southern NH). The last time I saw one here was mid-winter. Now, for the first time, I am getting Orioles in numbers that are causing me to wonder, why? Other types of birds, new to this area, have been here also. I haven't looked up there names yet.
What's going on??
Usually we have many goldfinches at the feeders here in Maryland by this time. I haven't seen any.
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