30-Minute Blizzard

Okay, maybe our snowfall Saturday morning (2/16/13) wasn't actually a blizzard, but it was certainly more than the forecast flurries.  Daybreak was partly cloudy.  Then, more clouds moved in followed by this fairly heavy snowfall which only lasted for about thirty minutes.

The Goldfinches took advantage of  our bird feeder under the porch while the snow fell.

The snow stopped as abruptly as it started.  A little while later, the sky was clearing again.

By noon, sunshine was chasing the fallen snow into the deep shadows.

30-Minute Blizzard

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

We have American Goldfinches year around, but have many more during the winter.  They are one of our most common feeder birds.  When the Goldfinches start really getting into their breeding plumage in the spring, most head north.


"The goldfinch’s main natural habitats are weedy fields and floodplains, where plants such as thistles and asters are common. They’re also found in cultivated areas, roadsides, orchards, and backyards. American Goldfinches can be found at feeders any time of year, but most abundantly during winter."  (From The Cornell Lab of Ornithology where there are many more photos and more information about these beautiful little bird.)

I'm not much of a birder, but I believe the top photo is a male and the bottom a female.  If anyone with more experience disagrees, I'll be glad to make a correction in this post.  Both birds were at the feeder hanging outside our dining nook window.  Many people feed thistle seeds to Goldfinches and I'm sure the birds enjoy them, but our Goldfinches have never refused the sunflower seeds we feed.  

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American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)