House Finch Pair (Haemorhous mexicanus) in Coyote Brush
As often, the male is the brightly colored one: with the red head, on the right. The grey-striped female is on the left. House finches' native habitats are western US deserts, grassland, chaparral, and open woods. They have recently spread to bird feeders across the US. [Cornell Lab of Ornithology, AllAboutBirds.org] They have a nice song and an interesting call. Thanks to Gary Nielsen for the ID. They are resting in coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), called “The mother of the forest” because it is often the first woody plant to colonize grassland, providing shelter for other woody plants to grow and avoid deer browsing. Near Searsville Lake, 4/18/2015, 8:23 am.