I walk out my front door and my eye catches a glimpse of a fluttering yellow form. I’m amazed at how routine my day has been until now. Even though I see my goldfinch friends all the time these days, seeing them illuminates the moment and helps me catch my breath. It’s like they have no care in the world other than to find those seeds from my dried out echinacea plants. The asters beckon them to stay a little longer.
The American goldfinch, Spinus tristis, is a small North American bird in the finch family. Here in the southeastern United States, their presence is not too rare. In fact, goldfinches are relatively common throughout the continental U.S., and they’ve benefited from co-habitating with humans in the gardens and bird feeders of our residential neighborhoods. Even so, there is something so delightful about their visits. It feels like finding a bit of gold in your garden.
If you’d like to encourage them to visit your outdoor place, integrate a variety of perennial native plants into your garden. Goldfinches will seek out the seeds of Rudbeckia, Echinacea, and other asters, especially when they are allowed to dry out and linger on the stalk. In North Carolina, look for goldfinches in late summer through autumn.