Purple Finch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2026 — From my new photo blind yesterday. And the kind of “away from the feeders” shots I prefer. This finch appears to have something attached to its left eye—looks like a wire or some kind of wiry plant fiber. It is not slowing it down much. I have noticed the fondness Purple Finches have for the fresh leaves of this plant in years past. They might be after insects that are in the leaf buds, but they eat the whole emerging leaf. Or maybe, like tea lovers, they just prize the pekoe—even the Flowery Pekoe—the first leaves to emerge. If I ever learn to speak Purple Finch, it is one of the first questions I will ask. 🙂 But really, that is one of the things I prize about birds. The mystery of what makes them do the things they do—and the way it resonates with (or even expands) my understanding of why I do the things I do. Sony a7CR. Tamron 150-500 on a tripod at about 1000mm equivalent field of view. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.