Colourful garden star rarely seen
GREENFINCHES are common? Where? During my recent encounter with bird ringers, I realised how few times I have seen greenfinches.
I may have seen them on a couple of feeders at nature reserves, but the last time I really recall a greenfinch was about 15 years ago.
We had rented a house with a huge bush at the rear and we regularly had these beautiful birds pay us a visit.
So when I got a close up look with the ringers, it was a delight to understand a little bit more about one of our colourful birds.
The surprising thing is that there is no shortage of greenfinches in our region, the local bird atlas estimates about 10,000 pairs, but they do like bushes and trees.
They really are one of the colourful stars of our gardens and woodland, males being olive-green, with a yellow patch on the wings and tail.
You will spot the yellow flash as they fly.
Females are a greygreen colour.
Greenfinches are a large finch with chunky bodies.
In winter they will fly around in flocks with other finches for warmth and security.
They may also nest in small colonies as spring begins to brighten and warm our year.
Watch out for the males displaying their yellow feathers as they try to impress the females in spring.
They are so common in many gardens that English settlers took them to Australia to remind them of home.
So you can find them in the Antipodes as well as throughout Europe.
These birds will make a noise during spring, with a number of different calls on perches or in flight.
Our friends at the British Trust for Ornithology describes the call this way: “The song usually consists of a mix of pleasant tremolos interspersed with some rather less-melodic tones and a rather nasal “chewlee” note.”
Sounds like some of the music I listen too.
Greenfinch numbers declined as seeds became less available on farmland so they do rely, in winter, on our bird tables.
A timely reminder to keep those tables stocked with food and water as the cold snap bites.
The health and well-being of these beautiful birds tends to rely on their relationship with humanity.
So let’s make sure that we are creating an environment where we can continue to live in harmony with greenfinches and all other creatures.
For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust call 01948 820728 or go to cheshirewildlifetrust. org.uk.