The back garden’s at a really nice place right now, with a modest hollyhock show underway and the first early sunflowers blooming.

Last night, Lissa and I were sitting out at dusk enjoying it, and were treated to a visit by a pair of lesser goldfinches. They’re little birds, able to sit on the sunflower stalk without bending it. Last night they were picking some sort of bugs off the plant for their dinner. I’ve seen them do this before, though they also are nimble and light enough to sit atop the sunflower seedhead and reach around to eat the seeds.

I don’t know that there’s any seasonality to their arrival. Last visits that I blogged were Aug. 13 and May 10.