Goldfinches

filling the face of every flower:
Then they drop from the sky.
A buttery gold,
they swing on the thistles, they gather

the silvery down, they carry it
in their finchy beaks
to the edges of the fields,
to the trees,

as though their minds were on fire
with the flower of one perfect idea—
and there they build their nests
and lay their pale-blue eggs,

every year,
and every year
the hatchlings wake in the swaying branches,
in the silver baskets,

and love the world.
Is it necessary to say any more?
Have you heard them singing in the wind, above the final fields?
Have you ever been so happy in your life?

~ from Goldfinches by Mary Oliver

It’s fun to watch a goldfinch fly – they swoop up and down as they go. Listen to their call. It sounds like ‘potato chip! potato chip!’

Have you seen goldfinches in your yard? Do you have any plants they use for food? Visit yardmap.org to find out more about how to attract them.