Tag: birds

Siskin

I bought some sunflower hearts a few days ago, to see if goldfinches liked them as much as I’d heard. Within five minutes, they had attracted a siskin: a first for this garden!

I didn’t have a camera with me at that point, but I’ve managed to take this photograph of a siskin* on the nyjer seed feeder. They obviously enjoy eating that too.

I’m afraid the picture was taken through glass, so the quality isn’t of the highest, but I’m hoping for more opportunities.

 

*To add to some that I included in a previous post: Visitors.

Visitors

The flu seems to be receding a little. I managed a trip out to the shops and replenished my stocks of bird seed for the garden feeders. The goldfinches will be happy for a while with this nyjer seed! Here’s a picture of a goldfinch from a few days ago, when it was snowing:

IMG_4772

I’ve also heard that goldfinches like sunflower hearts, so I thought I’d try some of that too. Within minutes, they attracted a siskin. The photos aren’t amazing, but I thought I’d include them anyway as I like the patterns on its feathers so much.

Some more from a few days ago:

IMG_4771IMG_4757IMG_4776

Gold

I’ve seen very few goldfinches in the garden; even then, they didn’t stick around for long. Just occasionally I’d hear an unfamiliar song, then look up and notice one on a chimney stack, or catch a brief flash of red and yellow as a pair took off from their precarious perch on last year’s Rudbeckias. In fact, I’ve never seen many of them, although I remember seeing a group (or charm) feasting on some thistle seeds by the dusty road I lived on when I was a child.
Last year, I bought a packet of Nyjer (Guizotia abyssinica) seed and a special bird feeder, hoping to attract some of these attractive little birds. Nothing happened. A couple of investigative visits from  long-tailed tits, but they didn’t seem to find it very inspiring. This spring, though, two goldfinches started visiting regularly, always after I left for work, of course! But this morning I managed to take a quick shot of them (through the window, so not top quality).

With luck, they will become regular visitors, and possibly even nest nearby.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/g/goldfinch/