Hello all!
I have been getting the occasional goldfinch or two at my feeders, usually with a flock of pine siskins. This morning when I got home I noticed several goldfinches mixed in with a good sized group of siskins--squabbling like crazy, of course. It took me a few seconds to realize that a few of these goldfinches were bright yellow-- and shouldn't be in January! I tried to get a closer look at their markings, but with all the squabbling they weren't very cooperative. They were mostly yellow, although not as bright as a breeding male American goldfinch, and lacked a black forehead. I wondered if they were perhaps female lesser goldfinches, although that seems rather unlikely. I was able to observe them for maybe 30 seconds before a scrub jay scared them all off. Now my feeders are quiet. In this flock I did see pine siskins and some American goldfinches in their winter plumage. However the 3 that were noticeably bright yellow-- without any contrasting black patches-- leave me perplexed. Thoughts?
--Jen
NE Olympia