Re: Goldfinches all of a sudden [was: Re: Wakefield Park, 2
Kathy Klimkiewicz (Kathy_Klimkiewicz@usgs.gov)
Fri, 2 Oct 1998 12:14:47 -0600
Many adult goldfinches have not completed their fall molt. Many may
not have progressed very far in their molt and some have not started
at all as this is a very late nesting species. In fact, some may still
be molting flight feathers as late as December! Suspect that many of
the birds in the large flock at Wakefield were young birds.
Young females are difficult to separate from adults in the field
(fairly easy in the hand). Young males have an olive shoulder patch
and adults in winter plumage have a yellow shoulder patch -- this can
be seen in field if one knows to look for it.
Sounds as if the goldfinches had a good nesting season based on
numbers of birds being seen!
Cheers,
Kathy Klimkiewicz
Laurel MD
P.S. Chimney Swift roost on Fourth Street in Laurel is still active.
Hope to try a count tonight or tomorrow evening. Have been gone for a
week and was too late last night to get an estimate.
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Subject: Goldfinches all of a sudden [was: Re: Wakefield Park, 23 Se
Author: mdosprey@ARI.Net at NBS-Internet-Gateway
Date: 9/23/98 6:00 PM
BlkVulture@aol.com wrote:
> After hearing so much about Wakefield Park, I decided to visit it after this
> cold front came through.
> Highlights included:
> (300 or so) American Goldfinches
>
> I found the number of Goldfinches staggering. Very few males still have any
> brilliance left in their plumage.
Here at our backyard feeders (near Glen Echo, MD) we have been quite
surprised by a sudden influx of brilliantly yellow goldfinches, complete
with voracious appetites, particularly after having seen very few of them
in the last month or so. Anyone care to venture an observation?
David Strother
Bethesda, MD
dstrother@pop.dn.net