Bullfinch on brambles

[slowworm]

I thought this would be worth its own thread as its a nice picture, if a little out of focus as its taken through our lounge window.

It's a male bullfinch, sitting about 1m away from the window feeding on the seeds in the brambles I've left (note the seeds in his beak). It does make the garden look a tad scruffy but the number of times we've seen the finches on the old, shriveled, seed heads it's worth doing.

 

[slowworm]

Another pic of him with a full beak.

 

[nigelp]

They are fantastic looking birds.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Tengu]

They are, rather.

I recall the first time I saw one in the garden. `what is that exotic bird?`

 

[Kadushu]

Beautiful! I don't think I've seen one for years.

 

[birchwood]

Used to be loads about when I was a kid. Haven't seen one for years.

 

[bobnewboy]

They seem to love our unkempt honeysuckle bushes for the same reason. I think they’re the only birds capable of cracking the honeysuckle seeds. We get a few pairs each year. They are an exotic flash of colour in a dour winter garden scape, especially the square of white at the top of their tails which contrasts so well with the blacker hindquarters.

 

[slowworm]

We have at least two pairs and you often see Mr & Mrs Bullfinch close by even at this time of the year. The photo doesn't quite capture the richness of his pink tummy, or the colour as it's a bit more salmon. I also think the black head and grey back is also quite a vivid colour.

 

[Broch]

Not to brag, but we get them everyday at this time of year

They strip the cherry trees of leaf and blossom bud - our Prunus Nigra is bare of leaf and blossom most of the year and I think in over twenty years I've had one plum-cherry. But I still wouldn't be without the Bullfinches - a glorious, almost tropical, splash of colour

 

[slowworm]

Not to brag, but we get them everyday at this time of year

We had a pair of peregrines over the house today as well...

We've had an quite a few interesting birds in the garden this week, mainly down to the snow and ice. Interesting to see but I'm happier knowing they are simply about the place rather than just in our garden.

Seeing the redwings, fieldfares, thrushes etc on the remaining hawthorn berries is also nice but reminds me jus how bad the farming practices are around here of flailing everything in sight at the start of autumn.

 

[slowworm]

They seem to love our unkempt honeysuckle bushes for the same reason. I think they’re the only birds capable of cracking the honeysuckle seeds. We get a few pairs each year. They are an exotic flash of colour in a dour winter garden scape, especially the square of white at the top of their tails which contrasts so well with the blacker hindquarters.

Interesting comments about the honeysuckle , we have loads of that in our 'unkempt' hedges. (Speaking of which, Wiki says they prefer hedges "preferably more than four metres tall and wide" to breed in).

Here's a pic of his tail as well:

 

[Broch]

We had a pair of peregrines over the house today as well...

That's a great sighting - Mmmm... just wondering, does a Goshawk trump a Peregrine? Maybe we need to create a hierarchy of birds (nobody from North of the Scottish border can participate with your Golden and White Tailed eagles etc. ).

Only joking, truth be told, when one really looks closely, they're all exquisite - the tortoiseshell markings of a Dunnock, the iridescence of a Starling, the almost dayglow green of the Green Woodpecker - I love them all

 

[British Red]

I thought this would be worth its own thread as its a nice picture, if a little out of focus as its taken through our lounge window.

It's a male bullfinch, sitting about 1m away from the window feeding on the seeds in the brambles I've left (note the seeds in his beak). It does make the garden look a tad scruffy but the number of times we've seen the finches on the old, shriveled, seed heads it's worth doing.

View attachment 77265

That is a STUNNING image - well done!

 

[slowworm]

Does a hoopoe trump a hawk?

I tend to miss birds that were common a few years ago. We get a good range of birds around here but I've not seen a greenfinch for years and miss them.

 

[British Red]

Does a hoopoe trump a hawk?

I tend to miss birds that were common a few years ago. We get a good range of birds around here but I've not seen a greenfinch for years and miss them.

Here we get half a dozen goldfinches - a beautiful song. I'm thrilled by seeing breeding egrets (lesser & great) even though they are far from rare now

 

[Broch]

Does a hoopoe trump a hawk?

I tend to miss birds that were common a few years ago. We get a good range of birds around here but I've not seen a greenfinch for years and miss them.

I've never seen a Hoopoe so, I guess, it would for me

We used to get Greenfinches but, sadly, none since the start of Trichomonosis - strangely, we still get loads of Chaffinches though.

 

[pieinthesky]

Years ago I used to do a bit of bird ringing, we would get the occasional Bullfinch and they were possibly the easiest most pleasant bird to handle. They would just relax and let you get on with it, staring up at you with their beak open. Just as well as I bet they could give you a fair nip if they wanted!

 

[Tengu]

I id get a shot of ours. Not as good as yours, sadly

(He's casing our apple tree too).

 

[SaraR]

We had one visiting today. Such a beautiful bird.