Yippie......my little yellow male birds, finches, are getting their beautiful

[a kennedy]

summer yellow feathers back. This makes me very happy.

[Walleye]

1. Mine too. How do I post a photo here? Got it! See below

[In_The_Wind]

2. My Goldfinches are lookin' good.

Trouble is: I ran 100% out of food for them.
Placed an order on Sunday, delivery will be next Monday.

[Walleye]

5. Getting more seeds today at the grocery store. Hungry little critters

[In_The_Wind]

8. I usually buy mine at Lowe's but I'm not going into any store right now.

You understand: New York, the Hudson Valley. I thought about it but nope.

[Fresh_Start]

11. do you have eggs or vegetables or fruit?

you can feed them things other than seeds.

[In_The_Wind]

15. We do lots of fruit.

I can try cut up apples and oranges.

Some of the little birds are also feeding off the suet cakes.

[Fresh_Start]

16. some birds also like peanut butter if you have it to spare....

and they seem to have a very happy time of it whenever I spread grass seed.

[Bmoboy]

17. Curbside pickup

My bird seed shop will do call ahead drive up curb side delivery.

Probably going tomorrow. The grocer had some seeds but no suet.

Gotta keep the squirrels happy too.

(Pet food is "essential service" in Maryland.)

[femmedem]

3. Those of us who can see some wildlife while we're isolating are so lucky.

I have a tiny, tiny urban yard but I have cardinals, sparrows, sea gulls, opossums, the occasional skunk and raccoon. But how wonderful to have goldfinches with their summer yellow.

[Walleye]

12. The hummingbirds should be back in about 2 weeks

Hope they make it this year. I really need them. Always amazed when the find my feeders again. I have a plate glass window to my second floor deck. Love to do photos of them

[mnhtnbb]

20. I used to have American Goldfinches visit my hummingbird feeder

that hung off the deck of my house in Chapel Hill. I could see the feeder from my study window. The males were bright yellow when they came to get water from the ant cup from which the feeder hung.

[Walleye]

4. My finch

[a kennedy]

7. Oh my, now that's a gold finch eh?? He's gorgeous

[Walleye]

10. In Delaware. Crappy weather though wish we'd get some sun.

[3catwoman3]

6. Why do they lose the gold color...

...in the winter?

[In_The_Wind]

9. They become duller in the winter so they can better hide from predators.

[3catwoman3]

13. Do you know anything about the physiology...

...behind this? A change in diet? Decreased hours of sunlight? Colder temperatures?

[In_The_Wind]

14. From Sibley Guides:

→ Last Updated on March 17, 2020
Molt is the process of feather replacement. All birds do it; they have to grow new feathers once or twice a year to stay warm, dry, and airborne, and in many cases they grow differently colored feathers at different seasons to match their surroundings or to impress others of their species.

Among the small songbirds, virtually all species have a complete molt (replacing all of their feathers) in late summer, and in addition many species have a partial molt (replacing some of the body feathers but not the wing or tail feathers) in the spring.

American Goldfinch follows this pattern. Beginning in September, and continuing for six to eight weeks, they molt all of their feathers, ending up with a completely new and pristine set of feathers (and drab colors) as they head into the winter. In the spring, as they grow new body feathers the males especially transform into bright yellow breeding plumage, but the wing and tail feathers remain from the previous fall. As these wing feathers get older the pale buff edges fade to white and disintegrate, so that by the end of the summer the wings look essentially all black. And in September another complete molt begins.

https://www.sibleyguides.com/2012/05/the-annual-plumage-cycle-of-a-male-american-goldfinch/

I studied birds for one semester at a local college. It was the best time and money spent that Spring.

[Walleye]

19. Thank you. I wondered what happened to the white on the wings in the summer

[Bmoboy]

18. Spring is baby makin' time

The males show off their acrobatic flying skills to attract the girls.

Hot yellow adds to the entertainment value.