Today in Nature: An American Goldfinch

September 19th: It took me a while to figure out who this was - I am pretty sure it is an adult female American Goldfinch. Their male mates are a bright yellow. This one was with a flock that was happily harvesting the seeds from these late flowering plants. Goldfinches rely on seeds, so they breed late in the summer, unlike most other birds. Once the breeding is over and the young are ready to fly, they will head south to the U.S. for the winter. I hope they have health insurance....