Shrub-munching Finches

The instant the rain changed to snow last week, my feeders were overwhelmed with birds. But some of the finches decided they would rather chomp on the shrub outside my window instead.

They chewed on branches and bark, and one goldfinch even plucked some leaves:

I don’t know if they were truly hungry for plant material (since they are primarily seed eaters), or if they were just honing a skill. Perhaps they were anxious about the snow, and because it’s a bit difficult to bite their little bird fingernails they decided to nervously chew on my shrub instead.