Dr. Sara W.

I can sit in my backyard to do these activities, and on a road nearby. 1.  Two birds I can tell apart by shape are the Bluejay and the robin.  The first is larger and has a crest.  Inside the cover of the Peterson guide are roadside silhouettes that are fun to examine. 2.  Three birds with the same color:  black, but on different places of their bodies. a.  Black-capped Chickadee has a black crown and bib b.  Dark-eyed Junco with very dark coloration about the eyes c.  American Goldfinch:  male with black forehead patch, wings, and tail 3.  Three different birds searching for food today. a.  Hairy Woodpecker:  clings to suet feeder, pokes long bill in to get his food b.  Dark-eyed Junco:  was on the ground eating seeds from the feeder, also had a little bit of plant material in his mouth.  Making a nest? c.  Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker seen nearby over the past week or so, on two roads nearby:  on ground searching for insects and worms and flying low over meadowland 4.  Favorite bird:  the American Goldfinch.  This is a small finch 4 to 5 inches in length, with a small head, long wings, a short tail.  In summer the male is bright yellow with black forehead and wings.  The female is a dusky faded yellow with black and white wingbars.  The goldfinch is active and social, traveling in flocks, and is monogamous.  Pairs sing the same song.  They can be seen in fields, orchards, backyards.  They eat sunflower seed, thistle, elm, and nijer seeds.  They reside all over the USA and migrate South in the winter.