Friday, April 24, 2015

Tulip Time and Friday Finches

Continuing on with my rabbit theme, I decided to stitch Primitivebetty's "Tulip Time". This freebie does not indicate which colors to use, so I will have to step outside my comfort zone and see what I can come up with. I'll probably be able to show off the finish by early next week. 

As the calendar turns to the last half of April, the Finch Family rules the roost (and the feeders) around here.  

The hedgerow at the edge of the backyard is green with butter yellow accents - American Goldfinches. 

The females sport quieter colors than their male counterparts.  

Are these guys dressed to kill or what?  They are strutting their stuff!

On the upper left is a male Lesser Goldfinch.

The Lesser Goldfinches have black heads and olive backs and are a bit smaller than the American Goldfinches.  

The American Goldfinches, Lesser Goldfinches, and Pine Siskins all enjoy the small black Nyjer seeds.

They also all like hulled sunflower pieces...

...as well as Black Oil sunflower seeds still in the shell.

I like to have a few smaller feeders than only the songbirds can use, so they do not get bullied by the larger birds.

The water fountains and bird baths are finch friendly too. 

Male American Goldfinches and female House Finches.

I cannot celebrate Finch Friday without a photo or two of the male House Finches.

This male was radiant in the early morning sunshine.

The Evening Grosbeaks are the largest members of the Finch family in my area.

The bright yellow line above the brow gives the males a stern appearance.

Or quizzical anyway!

The males are always the first to appear, and then the females show up.  

Here's a female Evening Grosbeak and a male House Finch.
Look at those beaks - they are made to crack the shells of sunflowers are other hard seeds. 

I've counted six birds at the feeder, but Wednesday evening counted a flock of 20 birds flying overhead to a hill just across the road.  I hope that means that yet more birds will come to the feeders in the next few days.

The last of my seasonal finches to arrive, is Black-headed Grosbeak.  

Once again, the males arrive first - I saw my first two just yesterday.

As soon as the females show up my Finch Family will be complete!

11 comments:

LoriU said...

I have a question for you! We have mailboxes on the street in our development. They all have an open paper box on the bottom and these little blue and white birds come every Spring and make nests in the paper boxes! They fly super fast and we have to put cardboard in the front of the paper box to block it so they don't make a nest. Any idea what they are? Oh and they disappear after Spring and we don't see them again until the next year!

Ann at Beadlework. said...

The colours you have chosen look good and the birds today are quite a mix.

Carol said...

Tulip Time will look great in those colors, Beth. I stitched this a few years back and it stitched up very quickly. Love the quantity of finches that you get at your place--we rarely seem more than 2 or 3 at a time!

Maggee said...

A couple of Goldfinches visited me last week one morning, so I put out the thistle feeder for them but... no visits since... Oh well... Once the pollen subsists around here, I will get out and around and find some more! Great visitors you get to enjoy!

Ruth said...

love your tulip time, but I totally envy your American goldfinches!!!!! I do so love those little guys!

Margaret said...

Love all the pics of the finches. Such a variety! Why are grosbeaks finches? I am clueless when it comes to birds. Are house finches everywhere in the country??

Barb said...

I think tulip time will be very pretty. It's amazing to see how many colors there are in the finch family.

daisy g said...

Wow! You have so many visitors! I'm stealing the tire bird feeder idea. Too cute!

Pam in IL said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing the finches! Their color is so vibrant and really stands out around here now with our trees barely showing green leaves. Great photos of all your finches.

Frances said...

I love the pretty bird colors!!!
How cute is that sweetie in the little tire!?!?! Love it!
Also, it looks like a goldfinch party in the feeder!!! What fun they are having!

Melody said...

What gorgeous birds! You do a wonderful job getting photos of them. I know how quickly they move. Your blog header is wonderful too. I need to stitch the Prairie Schooler Robin piece. Everytime I see it I think, I've got to stitch that