Critters

Yesterday, we went to a local discount emporium and got a couple of new bird feeders to replace the aging ones. After putting them up in the yard, however, it seemed like the birds were leery of them. They preferred a feeder in another location which we did not replace.

Today, however, the birds seemed to figure out these were just as bountiful as the older ones and came in droves to feed. Here is a mated pair of House Finches enjoying the feast. He is the reddish orange guy on the right and she is on the left. Click the picture for a bigger view.

Not that we’re big into the Audubon Society, but we do like to attract birds to the backyard by keeping the feeders stocked with songbird seed mix. I happened to get out the telephoto lens and caught this little House Finch looking at me taking a photo of him.

WikiPedia has this about House Finches:

Adults have a long, square-tipped brown tail and are a brown or dull-brown color across the back with some shading into deep gray on the wing feathers. Breast and belly feathers may be streaked; the flanks usually are. In most cases, adult males’ heads, necks and shoulders are reddish. This color sometimes extends to the stomach and down the back, between the wings. The male coloration varies in intensity with the seasons and is derived from the berries and fruits in its diet. As a result, the colors range from pale straw-yellow through bright orange (both rare) to deep, intense red. Adult females have brown upper parts and streaked under parts.

Their song is a rapid, cheery warble or a variety of chirps.