I got to go birding again. This time we started in Suisun City and headed out Hwy 12 and continued onto Hwy 16. It was cold and foggy when we began at around 8 am. I drove by myself because, at the time, I thought I needed to be back to pick up parents, but that got cancelled. So, what did I see?. Well, at first, nothing. I'm glad I was in the car as the temperature was 39 degrees. The bad news is I didn't get any pictures of birds. They were just too far away. The good news is eventually I did see some cool birds. I did get to see goldfinches which there were over 100 lined up winged feathers to feathers sitting on a wire giving off a yellow glow all around them. It was amazing. I also saw a couple of red tail hawks. There was a meadowlark and shrike sitting next to each other which was quite a striking site since they both have a completely different look. Lastly I saw a burrowing owl peaking out of his home in the side of the mound of dirt on the side of the road.I could only see one big yellow suspicious eye looking around at all of us.
This handsome little finch, the state bird of New
Jersey, Iowa, and Washington, is welcome and common at feeders, where it
takes primarily sunflower and nyjer. Goldfinches often flock with Pine
Siskins and Common Redpolls. Spring males are brilliant yellow and shiny
black with a bit of white. Females and all winter birds are more dull
but identifiable by their conical bill; pointed, notched tail; wingbars;
and lack of streaking. During molts they look bizarrely patchy.
