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Re: Irritating House Finch Behaviour, and other stories



JAMES . . .

It is not uncommon for several of our finch and sparrow species to 
nibble at spring buds. I have seen House Finches work just as hard as 
what you describe, except on new growth on Spirea and Winged Elm.

I believe these birds are after sweet-tasting spring sap that, in 
turn, probably contains lots of vitamins and minerals the birds may 
have not gotten lots of during the winter. (Some birds, of course, 
have caecal bacteria that can actually digest these tender leaves.)

With regard to your dislike for House Finches, remember that it's our 
fault that they're here in the eastern U.S., even if they are a North 
American native. :-)

Best wishes,

BILL

---------


>Dear Folks:
>
>Yesterday I learned of a new reason to dislike House Finches, as if I needed
>one. This species has long been my 2nd-least-liked local bird, with
>Starlings holding the top spot.
>
>Saturday afternoon was beautiful after a morning shower, with bright sun,
>blue sky, light wind, and puffy white clouds. The daffodils were blooming,
>the maples were beginning to open buds, the grass was greening by the hour,
>the spring peepers were calling, and the forsythias were beginning to open
>their blooms. As I was admiring this pageant from the porch, I became aware
>of a single male House Finch methodically working his way up each branch in
>turn of a just-blooming forsythia, biting off each bloom, twiddling it in
>his beak, dropping it, and moving forward to bite off the next bloom. This
>continued until I threw a piece of firewood at the finch (missing), at which
>point he had denuded four branches of the forsythia. Looking more closely at
>the planting, I realized that this one (hopefully) aberrant finch had been
>at work for several days. Has anyone else noted this behaviour in House
>Finches?
>
>Also, today (Sunday) a large flock of Robins numbering at least 1200 birds
>appeared on the pasture, Kestrels are trying to decide on the boxes they
>will use this year, Wood Ducks on the pond, and Red-Shouldered Hawks in
>apparent courting flights over Stoney Knob. It has been a long and
>ornithologically unproductive winter in the mountains, and I am ready for
>spring.
>
>James Coman
>Alleghany County.

-- 

BILL HILTON JR., "The Piedmont Naturalist"
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA
hilton@hiltonpond.org, (803) 684-5852, eFax: (503) 218-0845

Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net) at 
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"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to
watch the sunset."					BHjr.