Friends Aloft

Here is an image from my rainy morning walk. I watched him for sometime, but the moment after I took this shot, he was on to me and took off.
The next day, I leaned on my kitchen counter and watched the birds at my feeder. I must say that in my previous post, that is a momma, not a baby goldfinch...I hadn't realized the females share the same wing pattern with the males. She was back Sunday, with her 4 babies. She didn't pay me any mind, other than to teach her young to notice and be cautious of me. So often I, too, teach my young to be cautious of things, when I know it is ok, "this time". Kids generalize so much, that often, we find ourselves teaching him the larger lesson, rather than the lesson of the moment....I never realized how much parents have in common. The young goldfinches were so motley!!! Hilarious and unkempt...much like my own son's shaggy hair.
A momma cardinal joined the crowd. She is not as comfortable with me, and so taught her young son to be even more cautious. The tits and carolina chicadees and purple finch were far less cautious...but they didn't have young to worry over.
It was a nice escape. In the past, I didn't put the finch feeder up until the garlic is in bloom. I would have it up at the bedroom slider, which is nearer the garlic. As they grew comfortable with us, I would move the feeder up to the kitchen window, nearer to where we enjoy, "deck time". This should be a good season for enjoying the goldfinches.
My son commented to his daddy the other day, "The birds don't leave when you get up and go in the house, only when you walk towards the steps, near them". I am so glad he notices things like that, and on his own. A couple of years ago, I saw a pack of kids coming back from the pond, where there were some 17 baby ducks. I asked the kids how many there were that day and they looked at me like I was daft...I thought it so sad they were raised to not even notice the wildlife....and even more blessed to know that my son "watches", too.