For the last 10 months I have sharply curtailed my travel, both on account of the pandemic and to eliminate my birding carbon footprint. Meanwhile I have been paying closer attention to feeder birds than ever before. Maybe other folks who have longer experience carefully noting who comes to their feeders can answer me this:
Is it unusual to have male American Goldfinches already beginning to molt into breeding plumage in the middle of January? Yesterday I noticed at least 2 with black speckles appearing on their foreheads, and one of those even has a single bright yellow arched eyebrow, like a tiny quizzical Mr. Spock. I noticed these birds at a time when I also had a new maximum number of American Goldfinches, so I guess it’s possible that it’s these individual birds’ presence rather than their plumage that has changed. So, my alternative question is: Have other feeder watchers seen male American Goldfinches retaining black speckles on the forehead or asymmetrical bright yellow patches beyond the typical autumn molt time and into the winter? Thanks. - - Dave Nutter -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
