The

Japanese Maple tree

in front of the house here is not a native species, but is an imported one…and the House Finch (closely related to the Rosefinch that we know in India) is not a native species to Missouri, having been introduced, according to this

Wiki entry

in the 1940’s, from Mexico and the southwestern United States.

So..it intrigues me that the two seem to have found exactly the right time to meet…because right now, the Maple is filled with the red buds of new leaves…and the House Finch flies in to eat the buds, and fits on the tree in perfect camouflage!

Against the red budding leaves and the red wall of the house opposite, can you spot the House Finch pair, especially the male?

Now, seeing the first one (a female) was a thrill: Then the very beautiful male appeared: and then the two of them sat on the larger Japanese maple together... and the female started making little sorties to the very young conifer right next to our porch railings: The male was a responsible spouse as well, checking out the prospective housing: But then, what do I see but ANOTHER pair, in the smaller Japanese maple! Here's the video I got, panning from one pair to the other and back again: Here they are, a little closer (this male appears a very young adult!)..this tree doesn't have any buds yet: I was struggling to keep KTB occupied, while I hurriedly poked my camera through the slats of the venetian blinds and get the birds (I bet not even Audubon himself, or Dr. Salim Ali, could baby-sit and bird at the same time....a World Record for me!)...and I just stopped using the camera as the Action started. First the females, and then the males, flew down to the young trees to check them out...and then...war broke out! All four of them fought fiercely, spiralling up and down in a flurry of wings, beaks and claws...I was enthralled, as they flew up to the first floor windows and back, locked in combat. There was no way I could have captured that without opening the front door and frightening them all away...so I just watched, spellbound. Finally, a sharp shower of rain broke up the scrap, and I looked forward eagerly to the next re-appearance of the beautiful birds!

Today morning, there was a stalemate, with both pairs sitting in “their” respective trees and eyeing the conifers; only one female brought in some nesting material and inserted it into one conifer, but there was no fighting that I could see. More rain followed, and the birds flew off.

Waiting eagerly to see what tomorrow brings, if it’s not rainy!I do hope at least one pair succeeds in nesting….am planning to go out and buy birdseed and a nice bird feeder for our birds which are, truly for us…House Finches! A bird in the house IS two birds, or four, in the bush…or the tree!

and…Murphy’s Law mandated that the Eagle Day, that I was eagerly looking forward to today (at the World Bird Sanctuary) was cancelled due to bad weather. I didn’t know this until A took me to the house of the person with whom I was supposed to go….