Catching Them With A Mouth-Full
When the grasses and tall stalks of wild vegetation mature each fall the birds enjoy a bounty of seeds and berries. Sparrows and Goldfinch are small enough that they can perch right on the thin stalks and pick out the seeds from the cluster of dead flowers. Often they can be easily spotted about eye level; I was able to capture some of their seed feeding on recent bird walks.
Goldfinch are perhaps the easiest to photograph, due to their bright yellow colors, and they are pretty tolerant of my nearby camera clicking away. Enjoy these pics of Goldfinch feasting on seeds – they are particularly fond of thistle.
The Chipping Sparrow is a migrant bird and they are arriving in Chicagoland now in mid-October. These sharp-looking birds can be identified by the long black streak passing through its eye.
One of my favorite sparrow is the Savannah Sparrow. These birds are migrating through now, too and can be recognized by the bold stripes on its breast and a hint of yellow in the lores (the area between the eye and the beak).
The Song Sparrow is a year-round resident so it knows just where to go for food. This one prefers berries and has selected a ripe, juicy one for breakfast.
Next time we’ll look at some other birds and their fall eating habits.
Stay Safe. Go Birding. Take Pics. Share Here. Repeat.
Mike
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