The birds, the birds

One of my favorite things in our house is the big window looking out over the back yard from the dining room. Two springs ago we hung a finch bird feeder in the tri-color beech just outside that window and have loved watching them come to feed. Last year there weren't as many, but this year they are back with a vengeance and are eating like crazy. They are American goldfinches. The males have bright yellow chests, black heads and black and white chevron stripes on their wings and backs. Of course the females are drab (grayish/yellowish/greenish) with indistinct markings but still small and cute. They usually come in pairs. Sometimes we have 4 birds at a time on the perches. When we sit at our table we are only about 3-4 feet away from them through the glass, but they don't seem to mind. When Savannah was here, we watched the birds every day. She learned to point at them. We LOVE having these birds over for breakfast, lunch, dinner and several snacks every day!