Lesser Goldfinch

It’s been so much fun birdwatching from the deck. The lesser goldfinch is the first bird I’ve seen here that is completely new to me–it’s a western bird, the first one that isn’t in my Eastern Birds of North America guide. Its colors are spectacularly intense (this photo doesn’t do it justice) and we have many of them at the feeder.

Last week an osprey flew across the cove and landed on a branch across the way; it stayed there for a long time, maybe even a couple of hours. We’ve also seen pelicans, both white and brown, and many other birds that I am still trying to figure out.