Bullfinches are on their way back

After years of decline, Bullfinches are being seen returning to more British gardens than ever.

Of 11,000 citizen scientists of the British Trust for Ornithology’s Garden Birdwatch Survey, 19 per cent saw the birds in their garden last month, double the average for April. The figures follow a record high last winter after a successful breeding season.

Enigmatic and secretive, bullfinches are more likely to be seen in gardens with a lot of cover and close to woodland and scrubland. Since the Seventies, bullfinches have suffered long-term decline, thought to be due to intensive farming, declining food supply and loss of nesting cover.

However, several recent surveys suggest there has been an increase nationally since 2000. During May they are likely to be spotted feeding on the seeds of fleshy fruits and flower buds or foraging for insects and worms. Samantha Herbert