Greenfinches YES!!

[wellie]

A few years' back, Greenfinches suffered terribly with a virus or something, and we saw a huge decline in their numbers.

Having gardened down on The Funny Farm now for about 18 months, and not seen a Greenfinch in ALL of that time, nor truthfully, for at least a year or so back at The Cottage previously, I am delighted to report a pair of them, coming to drink from our birdbath in front of the kitchen window in the last week/fortnight.

I've introduced a plethora of fruit, veg, herbs, flowers, shrubs'n'stuff, piles of rotting logs, bird feeders, birdbaths (and not ONCE asked for a contribution from the birds themselves!!) here now to encourage as many different species as I can, because if you know me by now, you'll know me as someone that adores my garden birds.

I'm bored of the pair of Goldfinches in the birdbath now, obviously.... she lied through her teeth?!

[Jeanied]

Wellie I know just how you feel! After a few years of putting out nyjer seeds for the goldfinches, and then sunflower seeds for everyone, I had a mixed flock of gold, green and chaffinches turn up regularly - winter and summer. Judging by the numbers and their colours the golfinches have two broods of babies at least, the greenfinches have had at least one and the chaffinches too.
I just heard on the news today that they are being wiped out by a virus again - so I went out and disinfected the feeder perches just to try and help.
The chaffinches prefer to feed on the shed roof ( I sweep up and chuck the dropped seed from the feeders up there as the goldfinches are messy, wasteful little so-and-sos!).

[Keith2202]

Nice one. I've had 2 or 3 greenfinches in my garden and a similar number of goldfinches. Much to my surprise, as I was planning on getting some nyjer seed to try and attract them, but they have just come to the normal feeder anyway. I wasn't even sure they would come to a garden in East London!

[wellie]

Thank you both hugely, and it's interesting that you're both kind of London, where I'm here on the Welsh/English border, and I heard that radio news item also, which must make us fellow Radio 2 listeners? Hurrah! and a high five to you!

It's completely Spookey how I just mentioned Greenfinches one night, and then they're on the news the next day?

But my point here, is that they're making a 'visible' comeback, and therefore, we do need to be aware that they're evident once again, and do everything possible to encourage a healthy return to whatever normal is.

And may I just say, it's lovely to speak here with the two of you like-minded peoples.X

[SueA]

Good to hear you've got greenfinches Wellie, I think I've only ever seen one briefly stop in our garden in all the time we've lived here & can't remember seeing any chaffinches at all. We do get goldfinches though, they seem to have increased around here over the last few years. You'll probably get a few more different birds where you are now Wellie, it seems to vary around here if you just move a few miles down the road!

[Parsleythelion]

I haven't seen any greenfinches in our garden, the only green feathered thing we get is parrots! There is a large flock on green parrots or parakeets that live around the South East London area (does anyone else have parrots/parakeets?) and I've heard the council are looking to cull them as they are outdoing the indigenous bird population. It is quite an impressive sight to see (and hear) them at the end of the day flying back to the nightly nests.

[wellie]

Hello SueA -not spoken to you in ages! You're a dead lucky thing to have Goldfinches though... we've got a pair of them that have chosen to drink from the birdbath in front of the kitchen window, which makes it really special viewing when I've got my mitts in the kitchen sink, thankfully...

Parsleythelion - no, I'm not a fan of 'escaped/turned wild' in the countryside.... not natural, and could have untold consequences in the longer term for native species that we know and love.

I am completely 'cock a hoop' to report to you today, having spent yet another day in The Funny Farm Kitchen, preserving (Roasted Tomato Passata today, and defrosting frozen Goosegogs for stewing, defrosting Blackcurrants for making Creme de Cassis over the weekend, and prolly Rasps for a Framboise as well?!) but that's not important right now.......

Looking through The Funny Farm Window today (and I must start a new thread to that effect, eh?!) I jumped up and down, clapping my hands, like a complete looney, because, not only was there my resident adult Great Tit, tinkering over my summer and red cabbages, foraging for 'Pillar eggs and grubs, but there were two juvenile Greenfinches, and one juvenile chaffinch foraging too, which is a complete FIRST in my garden.

I purposely laid off filling nut feeders and putting out birdy-grub a few weeks ago, so that they all teach their babies to forage, and it does seem to be working.
When it begins to get a little 'lean' on the ground for them, I'll reacquaint them with my generous hospitality.

[POTBOY]

i've started to have a few greenfinches visting my garden, i've had a couple of pairs of goldfinches visiting for a while and they've brought their young with them too, also had chaffinches on a regular basis, but what i've been most excited about in the finch department at least is the regular visits of a pair of bullfinches, they arrive every morning as i'm brushing my teeth, they stay for as long as they dont get scared away.

[Jeanied]

I haven't seen any greenfinches in our garden, the only green feathered thing we get is parrots! There is a large flock on green parrots or parakeets that live around the South East London area (does anyone else have parrots/parakeets?) and I've heard the council are looking to cull them as they are outdoing the indigenous bird population. It is quite an impressive sight to see (and hear) them at the end of the day flying back to the nightly nests.

What do they go for in your garden, Parsleythelion? They seem to fly overhead but they don't come to the bird feeders in my garden. They must prefer bigger, more open spaces - (they will go for the sunflower heads on the lottie)- so do you have quite a big, open garden?

[wellie]

POTBOY, I'm really dead jealous now, because I can't ever say that I've seen a juvenile Goldfinch ever? It's kind of like: Have you ever seen a baby Pigeon, no?!!!
Bullfinches are kind of special too. Trousers and I only used to see them early in the year when food was scarce, and they used to come feed on the Buddleia seeds.

[Parsleythelion]

What do they go for in your garden, Parsleythelion? They seem to fly overhead but they don't come to the bird feeders in my garden. They must prefer bigger, more open spaces - (they will go for the sunflower heads on the lottie)- so do you have quite a big, open garden?

Hi Jeanied, I wish I had a large garden the parrots never actually land in my garden, but a neighbour "over the back" has a large tree in his which they sometimes land in. They tend to fly over at the end of the day going back to their night perches. It is quite an impressive sight and sound.

I would like to try and attract them, just once, before the cull but I think that will be highly unlikely.

[wellie]

POTBOY, I can't believe that the Bullfinches would be scared away by your teeth.....?!

We generally only see Bullfinches late Winter/Early Spring on the Buddleia seedheads, so you're really lucky, eh?

[catbasket]

Congrats on the greenfinches, wellie. We were similarly overjoyed when one started calling irregularly back in April - we get up to seven at a time now, several times a day, and mostly juveniles!

We found thistle seeds attracted goldfinches to our feeders, though they seem to like sunflower hearts just as much now they're here. We're up to eleven golds at a time now, most juveniles, with two new fledglings spotted two days ago being fed SF hearts by a parent.


NB - I hear trichomoniasis is affecting greenfinches quite badly again this year. RSPB advice here.

[wellie]

catbasket, thank you for the link, that's really helpful, and I'm really enjoying hearing about the goldies and greenies.

Funny you should mention SFs, because I managed to grow two rather 'beauts' this year, and two much smaller ones. I harvested the two beauts this evening, and dusted them off of their flowery-remnants to begin drying out a bit. The seed kernals are really fat and very full, so the birds should love them.

And rather than cut away the seeding Buddleia flowerheads, I'm going to tie my hands behind my back and resist that temptation as long as is humanly possible, in order that the birds can feast to their hearts' content (I can always spend a couple of months weeding the self-sown seedlings next year, pretending I've got nothing better to do with my time?!)

I cleaned out the birdbaths again today. And I hope that you all will over the weekend if you've got five minutes in your busyness to spare?

[Glutton4...]

Greenfinches in abundance, here! At least three this afternoon, along with up to twelve Goldfinches at any time. A Robin, Great, Blue and Coal Tits, several Sparrows and a Chaffinch. I only stood and watched the feeders for about ten minutes, but my Mum (they're in her front garden) watches them for hours.

It costs her a fortune in bird seed!