Green Feast
A week of rain followed by a week of sun was all that many plants needed to get them sprouting new greens. These goldfinches were totally on top of that. They gathered in the branches by the dozen and tore off as many of the fresh sprouts as they could fit into their already rounded bellies. Some of the birds also fancied the spiny leaves of a Bristly Oxtongue, a prolific weed starting to bloom. Ground Squirrels also like this weed.
And, the goldfinches in the first 34 seconds of the video, and the one in the photo below, are eating the female flower buds of the willow tree’s catkins.