The feature image is Cassin’s Finch seen on Mount Charleston outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. This was a life bird at the time that we saw this bird perched beautifully in the tree. It was chilly that day in April several years ago. We saw only 3 birds while up on the mountain that day, but two of them were lifers. The other bird was a Mountain Bluebird which I didn’t get a photo.

House Finch

The male House Finch and Purple Finch are very similar and can be hard to identify. Both can be a light to dark red in color. To help determine which finch you are viewing is to look at the belly. A dark stripe pattern on the belly will indicate that it is a House Finch. Below, you will see the finch on the right has more of a red and white belly with no distinguishable markings. The finch on the left was a House Finch. Hard to tell from the photo due to the sun hitting the bird, but I was able to identify him through my binoculars.

Purple Finch

The Purple Finch is less common than the House Finch. This Spring was the first time we have seen them in our yard. They are considered a rare bird for here in Jacksonville; even during migration.

Goldfinch

Goldfinches are one of our favorite migratory birds. They arrive here in Florida around December and usually leave in February. This year they stuck around longer or maybe we had more stragglers this year. The above photo was taken at the beginning of March. This male’s colors were really starting to come in.

This is my first time participating in April Blogging from A-Z Challenge. As a birder and photographer, I will be sharing a new bird with you every day. I host a weekly photo challenge called Bird Weekly and would love for you to stop by anytime. Join in if that is your thing too.