Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Stinkers of another sort

Nope, these weren't literally stink-ers. These were just little feathered "friends", who are no longer my friends! 

I'd been thinking recently that since my gerbera daisies had so many new buds coming, I'd soon have to take another picture to show you all the lovely new blooms. Well, some of the flowers aren't quite as pretty as they once were. Look:


I happened to glance out the window and saw a little bird chase another bird off my daisies and land on them itself. I watched it for a bit to see what it was doing there. And then I got mad and went out and chased it away! Look what it did!


It just hopped around picking petals off!


Now what was the point of that?! I didn't get a very good look, but I think it was a female goldfinch. Stupid bird.

7 comments:

annie dee said...

Interestingly, if you Google "goldfinches" and "pull petals off flowers" - you come up with many people asking what the point is too! AND they are reporting that it happens on Gerbera daisies! Best explanation I saw: "Goldfinches will cling to the petals with their toes while they eat seeds. So, it looks like the petals have been plucked out, but it's the grip with the feet that seems to do the most damage." Bummers is right.

Grandma G said...

Wow, that's interesting! Thanks for checking that out... I'd have never thought to do that! As if the little brats didn't have enough other seeds (ie my great supply of dandelions) in the yard to eat... not to mention the finch feeder on my deck! Aargh. So far they haven't been back... yet.

Anonymous said...

Wow!

I learn something new again.
There is so much to learn even geezers can do it.

Dale

Jessica Jones said...

It's obvious the female was trying to get some clarification on her love life. He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not...

Grandma G said...

AHA! So I shouldn't have disturbed her then, huh? I'd much rather she "clarified" on somebody else's flowers, though!

Auntie Kris said...

I have exactly the same problem with goldfinches and my gerbera daisies. I've resorted to buying a few 'decoy' blooms of the artificial variety which seem to keep them from tearing apart my daisies so frequently.

Grandma G said...

Wow, Kris... that's sooo crazy about those silly goldfinches! "Decoys", huh? Good to know they help, although the birds haven't been back to mine again... so far.