A giant among finches!

[telophase]

Meet Fatticus Inch and One-Eye! (Winner of the Name The Fat Finch competition suggested on Facebook.* There will probably be more Name the Finch competitions coming, as I am starting to be able to tell some of them apart.)





I'll try to remember to post about One-Eye tomorrow, but you can tell which is which here. And no, Fatticus isn't just fluffing his feathers out - he's really that big! I've seen him for two days now, and he's always that big. I thought he was a sparrow or something when I first caught a glimpse of him, until I got a better look and realized he was merely a Giant Among Finches.



* As I invariably get one or two people friending me on FB when I mention it here: please go ahead and do so, just let me know who you are over here so I don't drive myself crazy going "Do I know this person?"

Comments

[movingfinger]

I think that's a young finch (a this-year chick) who's been fed up really, really, really well by diligent parents.

I also think Fatticus Inch and One-eye should be characters in a Gormenghast-like story by Michael Swanwick.

[telophase]

I'm now entertaining notions of the finch versions of helicopter parents...

[movingfinger]

If only one chick survived from a larger clutch---or even if they had only one viable egg to begin with, but it was a good year for bugs and seeds or the parents were experienced---this isn't an unexpected outcome! (It's the basis for cuckoos and other parasitic birds.) I think you started feeding a little late, but you will certainly be treated to the sight of birds bigger than their parents pestering said parents loudly and persistently to be fed---while sitting right in the bird feeder.

We had one goldfinch this year who looked like a ping-pong ball with feathers, he was such a healthy little chubber. And was he good at working the flutter! And the cheeping! Well, it was plain to see why he was such a big wee thing.

[telophase]

Hee! Well, Fatticus is certainly well-equipped to survive the winter!

[jinian.livejournal.com]

BEST NAME EVER.

[amai-kaminari.livejournal.com]

AWESOME. NAME. <3