Wednesday, August 5, 2009

American Goldfinch Bath

I typically make it into work at Thomson Reuters/West in Eagan by 7:30 AM at the latest. At that time I can park very close to the building entrance. I have become quite a slacker during the summer months and generally get to work by around 8:00. Instead of parking in the middle of one of the huge asphalt lots, I drive to a small outlying lot right along a nice walking path and take the few extra steps to and from the office. The grounds are mostly grasslands, with numerous weeds that are now in full bloom, providing the summer-dry olfactory background of the Great Plains. Colleagues have reported seeing coyotes but so far I have only come across their scat. But I have seen wild turkey and many other birds.

During the last few weeks I noticed a pair of American gold finches that seem to have a nest in the firs along the path. While common, their bright yellow plumage is always a welcome distraction. Yesterday, one of them was taking a bath in a puddle of leftover water from the sprinkler system and flew off only when I was about two steps away.

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