American Goldfinch, male, landing
Spinus tristis
American Goldfinch · Brooklyn Botanic Garden · 19 August 2026
A male American Goldfinch coming in to a spent coneflower head in the August border. Goldfinches are birds of weedy fields and gardens across the continent, and August is their nesting season, later than almost any other North American songbird.
The timing is deliberate: it coincides with the seed set of thistles and coneflowers in high summer, which they need both to feed the young and to line the nest itself with thistledown. A border left to go to seed is a goldfinch's whole year.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.