Previous post had a male Slate Dark-Eyed Junco. This is the female. She's more colorful, not the "pure" slate-gray & white of the male. She has considerable brown mixed in, and her gray is a lighter shade. Still has the beady-black eye and startling yellow beak, though.
Best guess is a female House Finch. But really, I don't know. She has the stubby, heavy, curved bill; the general indistinct brown streakiness; the gray behind her head (not really as prominent as seen here -- she was grooming it); and those could be whitish wing bars. Sibley says they're here in the winter. Whatever, she was cold. This bird is hunkered-down on a depressed paver, against the wooden edging. She's about as far out of the wind as it was possible to get that day. Noticed her, became concerned, but she flew away a few minutes after this picture was taken.
New bird to me (yay!): Song Sparrow. Gray and brown stripes on the head, heavy gray bill with a little color on it, brown stripes on white body converging to a spot on the chest, long & rounded tail. Right place (Michigan & feeder) at the right time of year.
New bird to me (yay!): Song Sparrow. Gray and brown stripes on the head, heavy gray bill with a little color on it, brown stripes on white body converging to a spot on the chest, long & rounded tail. Right place (Michigan & feeder) at the right time of year.
Saw this goldfinch sitting in the middle of the feeder full of Nyjer (thistle) seed. I immediately thought, "Man, there's always some kid has to pee in the pool."
