AMERICAN (or COMMON) GOLDFINCH

*(Spinus tristis)*

by Chuck Ripper

The Goldfinch is a very familiar sight across rural America, in
open woods, weedy fields, overgrown orchards, farms, road-
sides or suburban gardens. It bobs along in deeply undulating
flight, as if riding an invisible roller coaster, its trilling song
accentuating each dip. This song, plus the bird's bright colors,
have earned it the nickname "wild canary." Goldfinches
travel in loose bands, swooping down on thistles or feasting on
weed seeds and insects. Their stubby beaks are amazingly
strong. Goldfinches are among the last birds to nest, attaching
their cuplike home to low bushes or weed clumps. When the
young can fly, they join their parents' flock. In winter, the
male sheds his bright colors and dons his mate's pale olive.
Goldfinches will come to feeders offering thistle seeds, bird
seed, or sunflower seeds.

The wildlife scene on this card is a reminder of the beauty of
nature and the importance of the conservation and wise use of
our natural resources. Copyright 1977, National Wildlife Fed-
eration, 1412 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

BURDENS ARE THINGS GOD TURNS INTO WINGS

"Oh for the wings of a bird," we cry,
To carry us off to an untroubled sky
Where we can dwell untouched by care
And always be free as a bird in the air -
But there is a legend that's very old,
Not often heard and seldom told,
That once all birds were wingless, too,
Unable to soar through the skies of blue -
For, while their plumage was beautifully bright
And their chirping songs were liltingly light,
They, too, were powerless to fly
Until one day when the Lord came by
And laid at the feet of the singing birds
Gossamer wings as He spoke these words:
"Come take these burdens, so heavy now,
But if you bear them you'll learn somehow
That as you wear them they'll grow light
And soon you can lift yourself into flight"
So folding the wings beneath their hearts,
And after endless failures and starts,
They lifted themselves and found with delight
The wings that were heavy had grown so light -
So let us, too, listen to God's wise words,
For we are much like the "wingless birds,"
And if we would shoulder our daily trials
And learn to wear them with sunny smiles
We'd find they were wings that God had sent
To lift us above our heart's discontent -
For The Wings that Lift us out of despair
Are made by God from the weight of care,
So whenever you cry for "the wings of a bird"

Remember this little
legend you've heard
And let God give you
a heart that sings
As He turns your burdens
to "silver wings."

Helen Steiner Rice