Hi Wendy,
 
Thanks for the web site - it's very interesting.  The bird didn't strike the window, it just hovered outside just like a moth.  It's a typical kitchen window above the sink.  The next morning I was up and out of the house by 5AM (road trip to PA to see the Varied Thrush), so I couldn't check on the bird until afternoon.  I couldn't find the bird in or under the shrub.  However, the next day, I was on the deck checking the hot tub and noticed a dead Goldfinch near the kitchen window.  I have no way of knowing if it was the same bird, but suspect that it was.
 
Thanks,
 
Kathie

Wendy Olsson <> wrote:
Kathie,

Sounds like, based on your description, you didn't hear anything hit your
window, but I have observed birds be sort of "hypnotized" and "attracted" to
lit windows and flutter/fly into them. Normally where I've observed this
the windows are really big (i.e. Harborplace or other lit office buildings
with all glass lobbies). Yours sounds like it's a window that doesn't go
from the ground to ceiling (???), so it may be something else going on. 

I'd be curious to know if your goldfinch is still there and how it is. In
some cases the birds just seem to need 20 minutes or so in a warm, quiet,
dark area to regroup, and will then fly away after the relax time. In other
cases they have a concussion or more serious injuries and require the
assistance of a rehabber. The birds I found with concussions had a swollen
eye/s and/or if you looked in the pupil (either one or both) there was a
tinge of red. Some also had blood coming out of their mouth or beak from
injuries. 

Here's some more info on fatal light and birds:
http://www.flap.org/new/prefr.htm this is more about windows than light,
but if you click on nocturnal collisions link there's a bit more info on
light. It is a huge problem, especially with tall structures during
migration.

Also from above link, click on "volunteer center" link, then from second
dropdown click on training manual. There is some good info on what to look
for in injuries there...

Cheers,
Wendy 



-----Original Message-----
From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of K Lambert
Sent: Friday, December 17, 2004 8:58 PM
To: 
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Odd Goldfinch behavior

Hi folks,

Since the semester ended, Hubby has a list of things for me to do. One of
them was to reorganize the kitchen - UGH! Anyway, we were in the midst of
kitchen carnage this evening when I noticed something fluttering against the
kitchen window. It's not unusual for moths to be attracted to this window
above the sink, but I thought it was awful late in the year for a moth, even
the really large moths we get around here. Then I really looked at it and
realized it was a Goldfinch, and it was dark out - about 7PM. I turned off
the lights in the house and went outside to find the finch sitting on the
windowsill. I picked it up and placed it in a nearby dense shrub. I know
that abberant bird behavior normally means a sick bird. Any ideas for what
this bird might have been doing?

Kathie Lambert
Harwood, MD
kbert59 at yahoo dot com



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Kathie Lambert
kbert59 @ yahoo.com
Harwood, MD
		
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