Fall into winter birds

 With the return of fall, I start maintaining the bird feeders again. And by maintaining I mean spend a ridiculous amount of money on food that ends up feeding

  •  A lot of "trash" birds, i.e., Eurasian Collared Doves and House Sparrows 
  • Squirrels which are not birds and I'm not happy about that
  • A few of my favorites e.g., Northern Cardinal, nuthatches, assorted woodpeckers 
  • And for the past few days, a lone American Goldfinch.


The first day I saw this little guy, shortly before I took this picture, he sat very still and was tolerant of our proximity while we worked in the backyard in a way that none of the other birds were. I figured he was either sick or exhausted. Eventually he started to eat and perked up. He looked quite robust when I spied him last night, bobbing around the feeder.

I wonder, where is his flock? How is he off on his own? I'm assuming he hatched and fledged this year and somehow lost track of his parents. This happens, I'm told. Apparently, the young males of many species are apt to wonder off. Sometimes, they are shooed away or forced out of the herd, pod or flock. While this may seem harsh, it seems to be a good mechanism to mix up the gene pool to ensure genetic diversity throughout the species. Nature is generally more concerned for the well being of the group than the individual.

I hope this little guy finds a flock. Until then, safe flying, little Goldfinch. The feeder will be full all winter. 

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