Male American goldfinch and feather changes over time.


It's hard to take a bad photo of the male goldfinch.  Especially in the spring when the feathers and colours are in their peak condition.  Add to that some fruit trees in bloom and you get a wonderful mix of shades.  The above photo has a further enhancement with the pleasantly blurred background.  It is not the best photo of a goldfinch I have ever taken, but I still think it's pretty good.

Last year, I got a great photo of a male goldfinch on a salsify plant (left) near Winfield, BC.  In 2017, while camping in late summer, I photographed one at a feeder at Cultus Lake, BC (top).  The last photo (bottom) is of a male eating fennel.  It is interesting to notice that the feathers become duller and ragged as the season progresses.  

Colour and quality of feathers decline over time.  

Finally, after summer has fled, the birds shed their breeding plumage and replace it with their winter wear.  I photographed goldfinches late in the winter before their spring moult two years ago.  Both males and females look alike.  You can see the image below.

American goldfinch, winter plumage.

It is interesting to compare the photos of a species over time.  Feather quality and colour changes both with time and season.  For many birds, there is also the addition of age, as many don't come into their adult plumage for years.  

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com



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