Nesting time

The first house finches arrived today. I was passing by the kitchen window when I saw the flash of bright red, one male and several females, flying around the orchard and the feeders. Last year they nested in the box in the front yard, but a family of sparrows is there this year. So I'm not sure what they'll do.

In past years the finches have nested in the arbovitae hedge outside our bedroom windows, or in the nesting boxes at each end of the barn. But I suspect they'll stay closer to the house, close to all the bird feeders in the garden and the orchard. Once they settle in, there will be plenty of food to choose from.

Last summer I moved the finch feeders away from the house, and into the garden. One hangs from the butterfly bush, where seeds will fall harmlessly into the grass. It's also close to one of the nesting boxes. The other hangs from the smoke tree by the patio. I can watch both feeders from the house, and from the front porch.