Goldfinches

There seems to be a rule that all suburban mailboxes (the ones out at the curb on a post) must be surrounded by some sort of flower bed.  At least that's how things are in my neighborhood.  My mailbox bed philosophy is that if it survives without me watering it, it's good.  This mindset leads me to choose mostly native perennials for out there--since they're supposed to be used to surviving our summers (and winters) without any assistance.  Coneflowers (Echinacea) are one of the most reliable performers in midsummer.  The best thing about them is that, just when the flowers are almost gone and the plants are setting seed, they are almost constantly decorated with goldfinches!

Goldfinches are small, seed-eating birds.  During the summer, the males are bright yellow with black wings and a black cap.  The females and winter males are duller and greenish, without the black cap.  They're beautiful birds, and they come in great flocks (we've had up to 45 at one time) to the feeders in winter.  In the summer, they travel in smaller groups, and they LOVE coneflower seeds.  Most days as I'm sitting in the driveway, waiting for the garage door to open or close, I can watch the goldfinches.  If I'm working outside, I can always hear them coming and going.  Unlike most birds, goldfinches sing while they're flying, which always makes me smile. 

Every year, I relearn the same lesson:  just when I think it's time to cut back the coneflowers because they're done flowering, the goldfinches arrive to remind me that there's more to a garden than just pretty flowers.