Can There Be Too Many?

As I mentioned in the last post, my friend Polly Wren brought a new neighbor over when she came the other day. Turns out Colette is a budding birder and a very good photographer! I begged more photos...

I love this shot showing the beautiful silver undersides to their wings, as well as the mixed flock of Brown-capped and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches. Brown-capped have little to no gray on their heads, with a black forhead. Gray-crowned ...and I remember it's Grey-crowned because real crowns are usually made of something like silver or gold and not something brown (like a cap). We get both species, as well as the Black Rosy-Finches here...but didn't see them this visit. What we also get are a sub-species to the Gray-crowns called Hepburn's...which look to have a helmet rather than a crown of grey. The things I do to remember names!

I cropped this shot so that I could show the gorgeous photo Colette got of this Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. Be sure to click to embiggen!

Another fun shot of the birds close to my pond where we tossed seed under a volunteer Currant Bush. I wonder if
the less-pink birds are younger. That would be in keeping with how most young birds look; like the females, but even more drab.

Colette also took a shot right through the window, where the birds will also come to eat. It's very exciting to be nose-to-nose with these beauties. The netting is something I keep over the window; it helps keep birds from hitting the glass...most of the time. Those Evening Grosbeaks are the worst, however, and I usually have one or two that need rescuing per season.

Speaking of nose to nose, this stump, which I've photographed before, is just a few feet outside my back door. It's a blast to sit inside, with the door wide open, and watch the birds feeding practically at your feet. Thanks, Colette for a wonderful bunch of photographs!