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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Little Yellow Bird

I found something exciting on my recent hike. It's a new bird that I've only ever seen in pictures before. Now I got to see a real one for the very first time. I guess there is always something new to see from nature. The wonders never end.

The bird is hard to see in these pictures, but it appears to be what's called an American Goldfinch. Check out that link I just gave you. It's very informative, and it's also very valuable. You'll find some good information on this beautiful bird there, including a better look at it.

I was headed down to the lake to look at the geese when I got to about the same place where I saw the angry squirrel that I told you about a few days ago. I just happened to be looking towards the trees at the back of the park when I saw a flash of yellow fly by.

It was a bird about half the size of a robin. I saw it land on a tree branch, but I quickly lost it in all of the leaves. I had to do something, so I zoomed the camera in towards where I last saw it and began taking pictures. I was hoping I would get lucky and catch a glimpse of it in one of the shots.

As you can see, I got what I was looking for! Yellow birds fascinate me because I didn't know that any existed in North America. After getting a short glimpse of one last year, I'm finding out that not only do they exist here, but they're common and there are very many different types.

These pictures aren't really even close to the best anyone has ever gotten of one of these birds, but that's not the point here. The thrill of seeing this bird for myself, and just having that small chance of getting a picture was extremely fun. These pictures are the record of a memory of a great time.

17 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! What an exciting find for you.

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  2. Great discovery..seeing it for the first time is always exciting. I also observed woodpecker during my recent trip and i did a post on it in my blog. But i didn't have any photos of it. But it really pretty birds.

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  3. Congratulations on your discovery, great find. Seeing something like the little goldfinch is what keeps it exciting.

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  4. I love to see Goldfinches but they are very scarce around me. I only saw the one pair in early spring and never again. They are such beautiful birds and I'm glad you got to see one Ratty!!

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  5. That's exciting to see..I love to watch birds!

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  6. When you are a kid, every small wonder may get you excited. This is what I am seeing from you.

    We need such a heart to embrace nature.

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  7. i share your excitement of seeing the bird and capturing it in camera, it is not about the closeness of the shot, but about the experience and the happiness it brings. thanks for sharing this excitement and happiness with us.

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  8. what an exiting find ratty! see, there will always be new things coming into your adventures.

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  9. Oh, we have TONS of these at my feeder each day. They are fussy little guys, as they sort of "yell" at you if you scare them off their feeder. They aren't as bright in the winter when they aren't breeding--they're more brown than yellow.

    Glad you spotted them!

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  10. Ohhhh... WHy didn't you move closer, would love to see a closer look,,, byt anyway, that is amazing! :)

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  11. I agree with your last sentence about the vividness of the shot. Though we all wish to have a closer look, it's always better to have this "something" than nothing at all, plus the fact that we could not control the bird from not moving away. sigh.....

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  12. It does look like a goldfinch..we have them here in the U.P. too...we usually just see them in the spring when they are flying through...they are so fun to see because of their gorgeous flash of yellow. So glad one visited you!

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  13. We have goldfinches in my yard too. They love to peck the seeds out of echinacea heads. Consequently I have echinacea in more places than I planted it, but that's okay.

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  14. This is beautiful !! It is great that you explored something new !!Do check my another blog also i.e.Unseen Rajasthan

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  15. I love the little goldfinches! The males are bright yellow and black, and the females duller yellowy-gray. I'm sure you could have them in your back yard if you want. Actually, I'm surprised that apparently you don't have a bird feeder.

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  16. Glynis - It was fun chasing it, and I'm glad I got lucky to get it in a picture.
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    Rose - Your blog post about the woodpecker is great, even without a picture. Your enthusiasm is always fun, and I saw pictures of your woodpecker on Google.
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    SquirrelQueen - It's things like that bird that make it all woth it. I love yellow birds.
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    Ginnymo - This is only the second one I have ever seen, so I was glad I got a picture.
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    Icy BC - Birds are fun because there are so many different kinds.
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    Rainfield - Yes exactly! I try to look at every new thing through the eyes of a child.
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    Betchai - Yes, the happiness a new discovery brings is one of the greatest things to have. I have much better pictures of other creatures that I don't share because I've seen them so many times.
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    PJ - I think you are right! This happened at a very small park where I sometimes expect nothing new ever.
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    Lin - I'd love to have a bird feeder so I could attract birds like these too. Things like that also attract people around here though, and I'm not sharing birdseed with them. :D
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    Webbielady - I would have loved to have a closer look too. I couldn't see the bird anymore when I took the picture. I aimed the camera in its direction and I got lucky.
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    Armageddon - Yeah, moving closer almost always makes them go away. I did try to get closer, but when I did, almost two dozen birds flew from that tree.
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    TheRetired One - That flash of yellow is my favorite thing, and it's the reason I was able to see it. I hope you get to see more up there.
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    Elizabeth Barrette - Sounds like these birds are busy little guys. I'd love to have so many in my yard.
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    Unseen Rajasthan - New things are the sometimes best. I will have a look.
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    Sharkbytes - I'd love to have bird feeders but there is too much human interference around me. I have a huge backyard, but there are no fences here and neighbors like to roam, especially kids. As a result, I keep things basic back there.

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  17. Hi Ratty- Great post again :)
    I love the American Goldfinch- it is gorgeous!
    I am a bit fascinated by the UK Goldfinches too. All finches are just so pretty. I love your enthusiasm and awe at this stuff, it is the same way I see things. Everything about nature excites me and I love reading your posts. thanks

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