I also noted the absence here in Beaverton until last week. Now I have seen 5-6
daily with the Lessers and Siskins.
----- Reply message -----
From: "Andy Frank" <andydfrank@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "OBOL" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] Re: Subject: The missing American Goldfinches
Date: Sat, Jan 30, 2016 5:12 PM
Jeff and OBOL, it's not just your neighborhood. There are several spots both
in NW Portland and on Sauvie Island where I have regularly found them in
winter, but I have yet to see any so far this year.
Andy Frank
"Having just completed a dog walk in my Portland neighborhood (Laurelhurst) I
again noted the absence of American Goldfinches , and the great reduction in
numbers of Lesser Goldfinches from recent years. For many years there have been
hundreds of American Goldfinches in the neighborhood in winter - primarily
eating the seeds of Sweet Gum trees, but also the seeds of various birches. I
haven't seen or heard a single American Goldfinch in the neighborhood this
winter. Maybe last summer's drought caused the trees to skip a year of seed
production."
