
Purple finches were once described to me as “house finches on steroids.” Today we see just how apt is that description: Behold the biggest, fattest, scruffiest, pigging-outiest purple finch ever witnessed at Chez GBirds. This feeder is quite large, and you can see that the finch fills a good portion of vertical (and horizontal) space. More photos of this behemoth after the jump…

Resting in a nearby holly after consuming an astonishing amount of sunflower seeds.

Lolling in the sun seems to be a favorite purple finch pastime. Maybe this one’s on its way north, which might explain its rather tired demeanor and voracious appetite. We’ve had a number of purple finches in the past few days, so I’m guessing they’re on the move.
I’ll watch for this guy, and stock my feeders full. Beautiful photos….