Male Purple Finch
It is unusual to rare for us to have Purple Finches in our yard. We did have a female for a week or so this past winter, but many winters we do not have any. We do have birding friends here in central Illinois who have Purple Finches at their feeders throughout the late fall and winter. Sadly, these birds do not generally spend the winter with us.
Yesterday afternoon, Cleon and I were sitting on our deck enjoying the sunshine. A simply gorgeous day! And that is when I saw it – a male Purple Finch at our feeders. We were so surprised!! He was there off and on for the rest of the afternoon. (For more information about Purple Finches and how to distinguish them from House Finches, please see my article Purple Finches and House Finches. )
