The rain and winds of Sandy couldn’t keep these birds away from a feeder in central Vermont. Identify all three by their full common names.
Answer
Black-capped chickadee, pine siskin, red-breasted nuthatch.
Most players got birds 1 and 3 right, but stumbled on bird 2. Bird 2 is not an American goldfinch, nor is it a female purple finch (but nice guess!); it is a pine siskin. Among other distinguishing features, the siskin’s striped chest differentiates it from a goldfinch, and the yellow feathers differentiate it from a purple finch.
This week’s winners are the fifth-grade students in the SEEK program at Newport City Elementary School. The students wrote, “We wanted to enter your contest because we love nature! We go outside a lot and watch animals and nature. We do projects, too. We have been keeping nature journals for four years now. We created a special spot at school that we call Wilderness Way. We have a birdbox, a bird feeder, and apple trees that a group started from seeds. We have many red oak seedlings growing because no one mows there. Deer visit, too. We don’t see them but we see their scat!”
This week’s contest winner was the fifth-grade students in the SEEK program at Newport City Elementary School, Newport, VT