Hmm, come to think of it, I believe the goldfinch I thought I saw was a youngster as well.  I haven't seen any ill finches since that one week I saw the 1-2- or 3 (think I saw 1 twice)  then about 3 weeks or a month later I saw one house finch and the goldfinch. I haven't had any since. (I've had very few hosp for some time now anyway, had about 15, then. nada). so no ill ones until I came home from vacation last week (leaf peeping in VT) and found the ill hosp and another hosp with a spring stuck in/on its' beak! -- a little spring,  like the ones that used to be in retractable ball point pens, was wedged somehow to the beak and was sticking out, I couldn't catch him, I just hope he was able to dislodge it.  He was very out of sorts about it.

K Lambert <> wrote:  Hmm, about a month ago, at my feeder I thought I saw a Goldfinch with this eye disease. It was a youngster & I haven't seen any since. I haven't had any House Finches with this disease in several years.

Kathie Lambert
Harwood, MD


C Mitchell Reid wrote:
Sadly, it's already here. I had one HOSP at my feeders last weekend that appeared to have eye infection similar to the ones I've seen in house finches. Earlier this year, late summer, early September I believe, I had 1-3 male house finches that appeared to have the infection and possibly 1 male goldfinch as well but I can't be 100% certain on that one. This sparrow was a male as well. He was in quite bad shape, panting and in obvious distress. I found a dead sparrow (male as well) in my driveway day before yesterday that was NOT this one but was disturbing just the same -- since there was no obvious injury to the little guy I do not think That Cat got him. 

I am located in the southern most portion of AA county near the bay - Rose Haven.

Cathryn Reid

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