FATHER FINCHES FEEDING FLEDGINGS

     While sitting on our back deck to enjoy the lovely scenery and weather during the afternoon of July 21, 2023, I noticed a tiny, red speck in our tall Norway spruce tree on our suburban lawn in southeastern Pennsylvania.  Peering at that red spot with 16 power binoculars, I saw it was a beautiful male house finch feeding three fledgling house finches; his offspring.  Those gray and dark-streaked young birds fluttered their wings vigorously while being fed invertebrates and seeds.  And the wild charm of those birds was decidedly enhanced by the deep-green of the needled spruce boughs.  

     Those four house finches were a lovely, exciting sight to me.  I know that species of small birds raises young in our neighborhood every summer, including a pair of house finches that hatch offspring on a support under an awning over our deck.  But never before had I watched a father house finch feed his young outside their twig and grass cradle.  And when that male finch flew off the spruce limb, all three young house finches flew off after him, hoping to be fed again and again.

     Two afternoons later, again while resting on our deck, I saw a yellow spot in the same spruce tree on our lawn.  Looking at it with field glasses, I identified that golden dot as a striking, yellow and black male American goldfinch feeding two olive and yellow youngsters; his progeny.  Through those glasses, I saw him poking food down the throats of each youngster in turn.  Each fledgling quivered its wings and eagerly accepted those half-digested seeds.       

     I have long suspected goldfinches were nesting sparingly each summer in our neighborhood, but I never saw their lovely, dainty cradles made mostly of thistle down and spider webs in our home area.  And never before had I witnessed an adult goldfinch feeding young at my home.  So here were two handsome finch fathers feeding their fledged young in the same evergreen tree only two days apart from each other.  And I was lucky enough to experience both happenings in my own back yard.  It was a visual treasure to me.  

     Readers, too, can experience enjoyable close encounters with wildlife in your yards.  You just need to be outside and have patience enough to wait for beautiful happenings to happen.     

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