{"id":52072,"date":"2018-05-11T05:43:22","date_gmt":"2018-05-11T11:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=52072"},"modified":"2024-05-21T08:18:08","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T13:18:08","slug":"male-american-goldfinch-in-breeding-plumage-small-in-the-frame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/05\/11\/male-american-goldfinch-in-breeding-plumage-small-in-the-frame\/","title":{"rendered":"Male American Goldfinch in Breeding Plumage – Small in the Frame"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale American Goldfinch in breeding plumage – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine a bird whose bright yellow feathers rival the rays of the sun then add a black forehead, ebony eyes, black and white wings and you have a male American Goldfinch in breeding plumage. Feathered sunshine.<\/p>\n

I photographed this male American Goldfinch in breeding plumage last June in an alpine canyon as it perched on a wild fruit tree in the morning light. I like that the bird is small in the frame, how the leaves of the tree convey a sense of scale, that the finch is looking towards me and how the leaves frame the bird.<\/p>\n

It is a basic image but one that I find appealing because of its elegant simplicity. I guess I might be easy to please at times.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

I’ve sorted out the issues with my server and my site is running smoothly this morning. Hurray for the small things!<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my American Goldfinch photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imagine a bird whose bright yellow feathers rival the rays of the sun then add a black forehead, ebony eyes, black and white wings and you have a male American Goldfinch in breeding plumage. Feathered sunshine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":128914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2715,27,1731,26,773],"tags":[4004,6480,6523,2716,6605,6666,4053,3940,3504,3495,6583,4062,4069,4104,6698,4043,2717,2315,4427,6522],"class_list":["post-52072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-goldfinches","category-avian","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-alpine","tag-amelanchier-utahensis","tag-american-goldfinch","tag-berries","tag-berry","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-canyon","tag-finch","tag-finches","tag-leaves","tag-male","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-serviceberry","tag-small-in-frame","tag-spinus-tristis","tag-summer-3","tag-tree","tag-utah-serviceberry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-male-mia-mcpherson-4176.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-dxS","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":103606,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/06\/24\/male-american-goldfinch-perched-above-a-creek\/","url_meta":{"origin":52072,"position":0},"title":"Male American Goldfinch Perched Above A Creek","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I am keeping my post short and simple with a male American Goldfinch in his breeding plumage perched high above a Wasatch Mountain creek.","rel":"","context":"In "American Goldfinches"","block_context":{"text":"American Goldfinches","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/finches-and-allies\/american-goldfinches\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male American Goldfinch and a bright blue sky, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/american-goldfinch-male-and-blue-sky-mia-mcpherson-9856.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/american-goldfinch-male-and-blue-sky-mia-mcpherson-9856.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Goldfinches","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/finches-and-allies\/american-goldfinches\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male American Goldfinch in spring, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/american-goldfinch-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-6366.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/american-goldfinch-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-6366.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/american-goldfinch-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-6366.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/american-goldfinch-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-6366.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/american-goldfinch-ripe-serviceberries-mia-mcpherson-1567.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/american-goldfinch-ripe-serviceberries-mia-mcpherson-1567.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/american-goldfinch-ripe-serviceberries-mia-mcpherson-1567.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/american-goldfinch-ripe-serviceberries-mia-mcpherson-1567.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":140506,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/02\/22\/winter-male-american-goldfinch\/","url_meta":{"origin":52072,"position":3},"title":"Winter Male American Goldfinch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This male American Goldfinch caught my eye after the recent snowstorm here in Arkansas. Why? Because he's starting to molt into his breeding plumage.","rel":"","context":"In "American Goldfinches"","block_context":{"text":"American Goldfinches","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/finches-and-allies\/american-goldfinches\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter male American Goldfinch starting to get his breeding plumage, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-goldfinch-male-molt-mia-mcpherson-4125.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-goldfinch-male-molt-mia-mcpherson-4125.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-goldfinch-male-molt-mia-mcpherson-4125.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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