On Fri, 8 Oct 2010 20:59:11 -0700, "Paddy's Pig"
wrote:

Beautiful!

"Sj" wrote in message
...
I call them flying butterballs

The same breed of bird is often a much brighter and cleaner yellow tone in
other geographic areas. They're kind of drab in Southern California.
--
Pat Durkin

"joevan" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 8 Oct 2010 20:59:11 -0700, "Paddy's Pig"
wrote:

Beautiful!

Glad you liked it Joe.
--
Pat Durkin

"Sj" wrote in message
news

Yes, we have very bright ones here ... that's why
I came up w/ flying butterball for the males ...

You don't get them this bright anytime of the year?

No. They're mostly pretty dull. Not very showy at all. They do brighten
up for a couple of months but never do they get anywhere near as bright as
some of the shots I've seen from other places.
--
Pat Durkin

"Paddy's Pig" wrote

I'll have to try to get a shot of one of our "Goldfinch" for once I think
ours have the edge in the beauty stakes.

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/goldfinch.htm

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On Sat, 9 Oct 2010 23:01:30 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:



"Paddy's Pig" wrote

I'll have to try to get a shot of one of our "Goldfinch" for once I think
ours have the edge in the beauty stakes.

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/goldfinch.htm
They sure are beautiful.

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
news


"Paddy's Pig" wrote

I'll have to try to get a shot of one of our "Goldfinch" for once I think
ours have the edge in the beauty stakes.

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/goldfinch.htm

Wow. Well it's a cinch yours looks better than the ones we have in So Cal.
The most brilliant yellow and clean whites and contrasty blacks seem to be
consistently found on Canadian birds. They don't have the red head but
they're beautiful.
--
Pat Durkin

Paddy's Pig wrote:
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
news

"Paddy's Pig" wrote

I'll have to try to get a shot of one of our "Goldfinch" for once I think
ours have the edge in the beauty stakes.

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/goldfinch.htm

Wow. Well it's a cinch yours looks better than the ones we have in So Cal.
The most brilliant yellow and clean whites and contrasty blacks seem to be
consistently found on Canadian birds. They don't have the red head but
they're beautiful.


It probably depends on the time of year that the picture is taken.
I live in San Diego CA. and I shot this Male Goldfinch a few years ago.
I offered them Thistle seed and in a few days I had more than a dozen
Goldfinches attacking my sock feeder. They go nuts over Thistle seed.
Bob Williams

"bobwilliams" wrote in message
...

It probably depends on the time of year that the picture is taken.
I live in San Diego CA. and I shot this Male Goldfinch a few years ago.
I offered them Thistle seed and in a few days I had more than a dozen
Goldfinches attacking my sock feeder. They go nuts over Thistle seed.
Bob Williams

Yeah. I know. I fed them for a couple of years. I used something called
nyjer - or nyger - can't remember which. They loved it but I decided I
didn't love them & stopped after a while.
--
Pat Durkin

Paddy's Pig wrote:
"bobwilliams" wrote in message
...

It probably depends on the time of year that the picture is taken.
I live in San Diego CA. and I shot this Male Goldfinch a few years ago.
I offered them Thistle seed and in a few days I had more than a dozen
Goldfinches attacking my sock feeder. They go nuts over Thistle seed.
Bob Williams

Yeah. I know. I fed them for a couple of years. I used something called
nyjer - or nyger - can't remember which. They loved it but I decided I
didn't love them & stopped after a while.

Yep!
Nyjer is just another name for thistle seeds.
It is expensive as hell but it does draw in Goldfinches.
After a feral cat in my neighborhood caught a few unsuspecting finches
and sparrows, I quit setting out food. I felt like a an accomplice.
Also saved a bunch of $$$$$
I still feed Hummers. The cat has given up in defeat vs the hummers.
Bob Williams

"bobwilliams" wrote in message
...
Paddy's Pig wrote:

Yep!
Nyjer is just another name for thistle seeds.
It is expensive as hell but it does draw in Goldfinches.
After a feral cat in my neighborhood caught a few unsuspecting finches and
sparrows, I quit setting out food. I felt like a an accomplice.
Also saved a bunch of $$$$$
I still feed Hummers. The cat has given up in defeat vs the hummers.


Yeah. They're pretty attack-proof. My hummers don't even care when a hawk
is in the yard. One day I saw a hawk at the top of one of the palm
trees --- about 75 feet up. "Charley" (the self-crowned King of my Yard) ,
flew right up and buzzed around him in a sort of leisurely pace. He sort of
orbited around him a few times then hung in front of his face like maybe he
was saying "Hi Mr. Hawk. I'm Charley. What's yours?"

The hawk remained aloof and chose not to reply and attempted to ignore him.
After a while Charley decided the hawk was no fun at all so he came back
down to yard level and resumed his screwing off, seemingly oblivious of that
grumpy ******* up in the tree.
--
Pat Durkin