Finally, a Purple Finch!

After reading about how common Purple Finches were out in western Virginia, I have been going crazy waiting for them to show up here on the shore. Over the last week or so, there have been an increase in Purple Finch numbers here on the shore, but most of them have just been flyovers. But I have been somewhat hopeful. Finally, we caught one today. This beautiful bird came early in the morning and was somewhat associated with a group of American Goldfinches. Although this bird looks like a female, we cannot determine the sex of this bird because it is a hatch year bird (a bird that was hatched out this summer). When it comes to first fall birds, males and females look identical. Now, if we can only catch a “purple” Purple Finch!!