Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bosque Bill on January 8, 2013 at 12:07pm

I've seen black-backed, I believe, but they're not "regulars". Perhaps just passing through.

Permalink Reply by Sarahjmd on January 9, 2013 at 8:56am

Hi Skip

Down here in the Near N. Valley the black backed males are so normally seen I didn't even know about the others. We have running water in our side yard and we see the Lessers every day, several times a day. They are here all year but seen less often in the warm months.

Permalink Reply by Debby S on February 24, 2013 at 10:28am

The black-backed ones I've seen have black backs with white checks, so not solid black.  A few weeks ago on a weekday afternoon, on Cornell north of Garfield I heard a bird singing beautifully and I finally saw and got pics of what I'm sure was a Lesser, though he was way high in a tall tree so I could only really see his belly.  He was lemon yellow and had a dark head. I suppose he might have been an American Goldfinch but a Lesser is more likely.  They haven't often come to my feeder at work in that same area (there may be enough wild seed available), but I have seen them at my home niger thistle feeder and elsewhere in the downtown neighborhood.