Hi,

I'm in (fairly urban) north Seattle and I've been watching a pair of
birds at a nyjer seed feeder, which I can't identify from Fisher's
"Birds of Seattle" or the web resources I've looked at. If anyone has
any suggestions, I'd be grateful.

The birds are about the size of a sparrow. They are eating the nyjer
seeds and have appropriate-looking beaks for seed eating.

They are pale brown below, mid-brown above, with barred black and pale
brown wings. They have a pale line under the eye, but not a ring
around the eye. The back of the neck is greyish and slightly lighter
than the back or crown. There is a definite yellow patch on the
throat.

Their behavior isn't particularly notable -- not especially aggressive
or shy or fidgety or anything. They don't perch upside down or at
strange angles.

-thomas

Hi,

I'm in (fairly urban) north Seattle and I've been watching a pair of
birds at a nyjer seed feeder, which I can't identify from Fisher's
"Birds of Seattle" or the web resources I've looked at. If anyone has
any suggestions, I'd be grateful.

The birds are about the size of a sparrow. They are eating the nyjer
seeds and have appropriate-looking beaks for seed eating.

They are pale brown below, mid-brown above, with barred black and pale
brown wings. They have a pale line under the eye, but not a ring
around the eye. The back of the neck is greyish and slightly lighter
than the back or crown. There is a definite yellow patch on the
throat.

Their behavior isn't particularly notable -- not especially aggressive
or shy or fidgety or anything. They don't perch upside down or at
strange angles.

-thomas

I've posted three photos to
http://picasaweb.google.com/tslauckl/Birds1

More precise size information: they are slightly smaller than a House
Sparrow.

-thomas

Thomas Lumley wrote:
I've posted three photos to
http://picasaweb.google.com/tslauckl/Birds1

More precise size information: they are slightly smaller than a House
Sparrow.

-thomas

Thanks for the pics and the size description.

Now I am ready to declare: I'm stumped.

Martin

"Martin Jensen" <hawkeye96 at (no spam) comcast.net> wrote in message
news:hc5coc$uib$1 at (no spam) news.eternal-september.org...
Thomas Lumley wrote:
I've posted three photos to
http://picasaweb.google.com/tslauckl/Birds1

More precise size information: they are slightly smaller than a
House Sparrow.

-thomas

Thanks for the pics and the size description.

Now I am ready to declare: I'm stumped.

Martin

Give a bird book a try. It appears exactly as pictured and is
smaller than a Sparrow.

"Martin Jensen" <hawkeye96 at (no spam) comcast.net> wrote in message
news:hc5sk0$mr7$1 at (no spam) news.eternal-september.org...
3Putt in Coastal SC wrote:
"Martin Jensen" <hawkeye96 at (no spam) comcast.net> wrote in message
news:hc5coc$uib$1 at (no spam) news.eternal-september.org...
Thomas Lumley wrote:
I've posted three photos to
http://picasaweb.google.com/tslauckl/Birds1

More precise size information: they are slightly smaller than a
House Sparrow.

-thomas

Thanks for the pics and the size description.

Now I am ready to declare: I'm stumped.

Martin

Give a bird book a try. It appears exactly as pictured and is
smaller than a Sparrow.

What is the "it" that appears exactly as pictured? I didn't find
"it" in any of
my bird books.


Just won't give up, will ya?

On Oct 27, 5:02 am, jadel <delco... at (no spam) ab.edu> wrote:
On second thought, they are most likely just female goldfinches in non-
breeding plumage, but they definitely are goldfinches.

The illustrations in Sibley are very clear.

Thanks much. I will check Sibley.

From photos on the web there seems to be considerable variation in how
much gold there is on female goldfinches.


-thomas

Note that if you click on the goofy bar with the "dots" in
the middle just above the group of three images it will
rotate three more in place.

They are immature goldfinches.

J. Del Col