Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
American Goldfinch
Poolside Perch
An American Goldfinch (male) clings to a stalk from a blooming hosta while eyeing the refreshing waters of the garden birdbath. The bright yellow summer plumage makes him a standout.
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American Beauty
This female American Goldfinch was kind enough to pose for a portrait shot. This is an image I found in my archive; something I took a couple of years ago. It must of gotten lost in the shuffle.
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Goldfinch on Lookout
An male American Goldfinch looks over the surroundings, comfortably perched on a purple thistle.
This particular bird had a staring role in a couple of earlier posts – Fan Dancer and Watchful Eye. He was not particularly shy and allowed me to get closer than most birds will. I was grateful.
To get a larger view (provided you have a large size monitor), click on the photo.
American Goldfinch Portrait
Isn’t she a beauty. This is a female American Goldfinch. She was kind enough to pose for this portrait on the suet feeder. She cam decked out in her Sunday best, winter plumage; not a feather out of place. I’m sure it was a cold day.
This is a photo I pulled up from the archives. It was taken a few years ago using my old Kodak Easyshare DX75909. For a simple camera (compared to what I use today), it did some exceptional work.
To get a better look, click on the photo for a larger version.
Fan Dancer
This was an American Goldfinch that I found by the marina in Algoma, Wisconsin. He was feasting on the thistles growing near the water’s edge; pulling out the white tufts and munching on the seeds. As you can see, thistle seeds are light and airy and tend to float with the breeze.
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Watchful Eye
Here’s a little touch of nature for you. I stopped to take some photos around the harbor at Algoma, Wisconsin. It wasn’t a foggy day elsewhere, but conditions were right to create a foggy area around the piers and lighthouse. I took a few photos (some I’ll be posting later) of the pier and a fisherman in the fog, and the lighthouse and boats.
As I finished and headed back to my vehicle, I noticed a few wildflowers growing near the water. I stopped to take a few random shots. Then I noticed a few bees – always a favorite photographic subject of mine – so I stopped to take a few photos of them. Then, as I started to leave again, I noticed a flash of yellow. An American Goldfinch landed in a nearby patch of thistles to enjoy a meal. It didn’t seem bothered by my presence, so I started taking photos. (Some I’ll post later.)
While concentrating on the Goldfinch, I happened to notice a bee in the foreground and refocused on the bee for awhile…as the bird continued to feast in the background.
The one thing I don’t like about this image (and others in the batch) is the background. I think it looks unnatural and fake. The background is simply the water of the harbor. I would have preferred something that had a little more color variation, instead of the flat blue, but I wasn’t able to change my position to create a different look. The thistles were only a foot or two from the water and I was shooting from a position higher than the bird.
If you’d like to see a larger version, just click on the photo.
This photo, and another cropped version, is available for sale. To see pricing, click on the blue bar below.
The Flip Side
Those acrobatic clowns from our “Flying Circus” never cease to entertain and amaze.
As the seed level drops in the feeders, the level of creativity and persistence among the American Goldfinch community rises.
The zany, upside-down bird makes this an image worth posting, but I also find the white pattern on the wings of the bird in the middle interesting.
(Click the photo to view a larger version.)