At first glance I thought it was a cardinal, but there's no crest, and the beak isn't quite right, and the plumage is more pink than red.
I've never seen a bird this brightly coloured during the winter, such a contrast to the stark white of the snow.
Then early this morning, my big pine tree was alive with little pink birds, perhaps 30 or 40 of them, pecking away at the pine cones, and fluttering from branch to branch.Then, at some secret signal only understood by the little pink birds, they all flew away in a pink cloud of wings.... I've been watching but they haven't returned.
What were they... and where did they come from?
Update:
Abe Lincoln has identified this bird is a Purple Finch. Thanks Abe!
I believe this is a Purple Finch something like the one I posted on my birds blog the other day. It must have flown into some glass on the garage door.
ReplyDeleteAbe Lincoln Blogs
Abraham Lincoln's Blog
Poor little guy! After we hung a bird feeder close to a window the birds kept flying into the window, but none hard enough to stun or kill them. It happpened so often, I finally hung a couple of sun catchers in the window. That seems to have worked..
ReplyDeleteQuite a colorful sad thing. The doves (really mentally challenged birds) constantly fly into our garage doors.....they are not usually dead birds, just rattled and a bit stupider than before the hit.
ReplyDeleteI think Abraham is correct too. These little guys come in "clouds" and fly away just as fast.
ReplyDeletePoor little guy that didn't make it. Wonder what happened.
Have a great weekend.
Well doesn't that just stink. She really was a little pretty thing. The cycle of life i suppose, yes?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the warm and kind words. It's truly like a hug.
So sorry about the birdie! She was beautiful!
ReplyDeletethat's a male purple finch. probly froze to death, considering your weather up there....
ReplyDeletei walked into work one time years ago and announced to my coworker, "i saw a purple finch in my brother's birdfeeder," and he said, "did you call the police?" thought it was very funny....
http://www.migrationresearch.org/mbo/id/pufi.html#asymb
ReplyDeletelink to more info on purple finches....
Oh, a beautiful poor, little one!
ReplyDeleteAnd you have changed your blog`s name!
Good weekend to you!
This is first weekend after Christmas, when we are without children here. It`s so peaceful, but. . . :)
Such a great snapshot. I've never seen one of these birds.
ReplyDeletePoor thing. Too bad it wasn't just stunned, to recover later :(
ReplyDeletePoor little thing!
ReplyDeleteI think it's a purple finch too. There are tons around this time of year. Sorry about its demise.
ReplyDeleteWe have many finches in our yard all year round. Some are purple finches and some are just plain house finches. They are very hard to tell apart. The house finch is much more orangey-red. They are actually more common round here than house sparrows.
ReplyDeleteAh, how sad, but what gorgeous colours. I imagine the live ones were a sight worth seeing. You must now just stand poised at your window with your camera on alert ready to give us piccies!!!
ReplyDeleteSue xx
ah thats sad.
ReplyDeletes/he is so beautiful!
So sweet looking, so sad, but that's life...
ReplyDeleteI get those birds in my yard when I put out lots of thistle seeds and the local birdlady tells me they are purple finches.
lots of various birds were flying into my picture window, so I put one of those colorforms type window stickers on it, (they peel right off -) they aren;t really stickers, but the birds see the sticky things instead of a reflection of trees and sky)
lettuce referred to the bird as "s/he"...sorry, it's HE, definitely. the female purple finch is basically BROWN with attractive white stripes here and there.
ReplyDeleteAw, poor little guy!
ReplyDeleteI've had the odd purple finch here, but mostly in the spring. Right now my yard is full of Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls - also red birds, and very pretty!
How sad. Such a beautiful bird.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen these birds before. Guess I should look harder. It's sad to see one like this. Birds seem so hardy, surviving in all weathers.
ReplyDeleteOf course Abraham would know!
ReplyDeleteNow, I hate to see these pictures. I know, this is "normal", but...
Aww poor little thing. But lovely.
ReplyDeleteIs it asleep? (blink blink)
ReplyDelete