Lesser Goldfinches

Our roses are still blooming.  I  feed with compost every month, water well, and clip off the finished flowers.

This summer Lesser Goldfinches stopped over with their young ones.  It's easy to tell because the young ones always flap their wings to be fed.

Lesser Goldfinches do not change their coat colors as American Goldfinches do.  Maybe because they are not as bright yellow.

"Yeah, we stay greenish yellow-colored all the year around."

Chilly Morning

The morning temperature was down to 48 F, although the daytime temperature still climbed up to the 80's. Cabbage Butterflies float around my veggie patch.  One landed on a flower for a very short while.

"I still like the lavender juice.  Slurp, slurp..."

With the cold morning temperature,  a predator already returned to town.  He/she just landed with the wings wide flapping on the neighbor's backyard.  Upon seeing it, I sneaked outside and waited.  A squirrel stayed frozen for a while.    Just about to give up, I saw a Cooper's Hawk hopping up onto the neighbor's shed.

"No one is here."

"Next time I will grab one."

A Big Family

American Goldfinches stop by once in a while.   By the end of the summer, they have added up some young ones.   With a lot of tweeting, one big family appeared. 

Here is a young one.

"I am on a practice run."


Here is a male with faded colors for autumn.

"I am still bright and need to hide from you."

Sugar Water

Every summer I have the hanging baskets filled with fuchsias.  Hummingbirds enjoy the sweet nectar.

Close to the end of summer,  hummingbirds are now ready for the sugar water again.

At Feeder #1: "I just didn't know how delicious the sugar water can be."

At Feeder #2:  "Me, too.  A new discovery!"

Ballerina

In summer, I have two kinds of hummingbirds:  one is Anna's Hummingbird and the other is  Rufous Hummingbird, a summer resident.  Because of the color differences, I can tell which kind, but when it comes to telling which is which amongst each kind, it becomes very difficult.  

"I think I am a Rufous female because I like to be a ballerina!"

Dry Summer

After a few months, we stopped over at a nearby reservoir.  The dry summer resulted in  more reeds overgrown close to the remaining water.

Canada geese on the dry bank.  So far they seem to have sufficient food.

More overgrown reeds make more protection for little song birds.  Here is a flock of Redwing Blackbirds.

Close to the end of summer, Lesser Goldfinches love to munch on the wildflower seeds.

"Yummy, yummy,  seeds are here."