[Tweeters] Edmonds Lesser Goldfinch Yardbird

[Dee Dee via Tweeters]

This Thursday afternoon I glanced out the window and noticed 2 goldfinches on one of our tube seed feeders—not unusual, we see (American) goldfinches year-round. However, one of them had a certain je-ne-sais-quoi about it which caught my eye…rather a bit green for a goldfinch. A closer look with binoculars revealed that the wingbars were slightly more buffy than white, and the general body shape more slender and on the smaller side compared to the nearby American Goldfinch. 
Coming to my senses, I grabbed the camera, and fortunately managed to get a few shots before it departed. 
The photos allowed a quick ID of the mystery bird as a Lesser Goldfinch, a species I had only briefly seen once, years ago, in a relative’s Central Oregon backyard. Despite having seen verified reports of a Lesser Goldfinch being seen earlier this month at Union Bay Natural Area, it was quite unexpected as well as exciting to see one in my own backyard. 
(An eBird checklist and photos have been submitted.)

Danene Warnock
Edmonds