State Bird

We have Goldfinches in the yard.  We saw pairs and small groups flutter through last spring, and Gabe was as delighted as I was to see them.  He even gave a little speech about goldfinches to fellow home-schoolers. 
This spring, Gabe was quick to point out the first sighting, and we exclaimed happily that the goldfinches are back!  When we were visiting the farm store about chicks, we saw a sale on nyjer seed for finches in a wheelbarrow at the front door, and thought, "Ooh... goldfinches in the yard...that will be fun."  (And we reasoned, the special feeder and small seed would be inaccessible to common cow birds that devour mixed seed in a few hours, as we've experienced.)  So we promptly bought a bag, and a feeder, and hung it in the apple tree.  We since, bought a second feeder with six more 1/2 price, 5 lb bags of nyjer seed.  We got finches!  A flock of 30-40 finches maybe, flew in and lit upon the apple trees.  They even filled the willow one day with their song.  Gabe called me out the door to listen.
In the trees...

Fluttering around the feeder...

Fluttering around the second more distant feeder...

On the ground...

Cheery, yellow, goldfinches...

Here and there, and everywhere.

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