Warm temperatures bring in spring birds
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What a weird winter we have had! This week, I received comments from people up and down the Upper Snake River Valley about “flocks of yellow birds” at their feeders. Some sent pictures, while others tried to identify the birds.
“I think we have a large flock of American goldfinch, but it is way too early for them,” said one person. Another sent me pictures of American goldfinches and several Lesser goldfinches. At the same time, one near Ashton reported a flock of Lessers there.
I have not had any Lesser goldfinch at my place, but on Tuesday, I had 40 to 60 Americans feeding in my backyard. They were chowing down on Nyjer seeds and sunflower chips and cleaning up the wasted seeds under my main feeders. I have some goldfinches in my backyard each winter, but their numbers are usually under 10 birds.
Most of the finches were gone on Wednesday, but a flock of noisy Red-winged blackbirds showed up. The finches came back on Thursday, but for only a few minutes before two Sharp-shinned hawks buzzed in and harvested two of them.
Merlins and Kestrils have joined the Sharp-shinned hawks at many feeding stations during this warm weather.
Identifying American goldfinches in the winter can be confusing for amateur birders because even the males are a “dirty light yellow,” almost a subtle tan color. During the summer, the males are a brilliant yellow with a black cap on the head, making them easy to identify.
These birds are the only finches that molt twice each year. In late fall, they lose their summer feathers and grow new ones; in the late winter, they change back to their summer colors. Females remain the same color, but as the males’ yellow feathers grow back, they have patches of beautiful yellow mixed with the tan color. While taking pictures this week, I noticed several males had started having a few yellow feathers in their neck area.
When a Lesser goldfinch is found with Americans, it adds to the confusion. Lesser goldfinches only molt once each year, and the males remain yellow during the winter.
Goldfinch feed almost totally on small seeds. If you have patches of thistles near your home, they may be filled with these birds as they migrate south in the fall. They also love to feed on the sunflower plants in gardens. Nyjer seeds are their favorite food in backyard feeders, with pieces of sunflower seeds running second.
These birds are serious about feeding, and fights between them get heated when they get into groups. What appear to be kisses between birds are aggressive acts to chase newcomers from feeding stations. They may tolerate one or two birds on a Nyjer seed sack, but usually, fights develop if more show up.
I would like to know if some of you who feed birds during the winter have seen an influx of goldfinches during these last two weeks of above-average temperatures. Please drop an email to East Idaho News, and they will get it to me.
Ririe Reservoir remains capped over with a thin layer of ice; going out on it is still very dangerous. Many of us are hoping for colder weather to build the ice enough to check how available the kokanee will be this spring. Please do not throw rocks on the ice to check its strength; the dark rocks attract the sunlight, weakening the ice or even making a hole in the ice that could later be hidden under a layer of snow.
We are also starting to see a few more Blue and Stellar jays around, but I have only seen one Great gray owl out of the mountains. The great-horned owls are starting to find their mates for nesting. We hear them almost every night.
Have a great time in the outdoors and be safe; there are still a lot of large animals crossing the roads, so watch for them.
