The Cloud-Collector's Harvest

Balancing carefully atop a slender cypress branch on the historic grounds of Fonte Sala in Montefalco, Italy, a hardworking European goldfinch pauses with a massive beakful of white plant down. Framed by a dreamy, sun-dappled backdrop of blurred green foliage, this brightly colored songbird is hard at work during the nesting season. In local old-world folklore, these industrious birds are considered the premier architects of the forest, gathering cloud-like tufts of fluff to construct cozy, insulated nurseries hidden from the tricks of mischievous wind-sprites. It is a wonderfully charming, educational glimpse into native European bird behavior and the delicate natural beauty of the Mediterranean countryside.