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An individual, of no great importance, who is unable to see the natural world as a place for competition. I catch fish, watch birds, derive immense pleasure from simply looking at butterflies, moths, bumble-bees, etc - without the need for rules! I am Dylan and this is my blog - if my opinions offend? Don't bother logging on again - simple!

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Monday, 30 January 2017

A Newlands Greenfinch!

I find it almost unbelievable that I am writing about seeing a Greenfinch, but that's what I'm doing. I took a walk across to Maxims Pet Shop, Newington, to get seed for the aviary and garden birds. The area of fallow ground is still intact, although the rest of the farmland has been ploughed and awaits the next crop, whatever that may be? Maize, potatoes or Spring barley, perhaps? Cauliflowers will surely follow later, as night follows day!


I'd seen a decent flock of finches, through my binoculars whilst standing at the kitchen door, and thought it about time I made an effort to walk the patch. So my pet shop foray was just the job. The finch flock was a nice mix of approx. 120 Linnet, 20 Chaffinch, 12 Greenfinch and a couple of Reed Bunting - bloody wonderful. Why are none of these birds visiting my garden feeders, just a few hundred metres away? Good numbers of Pied Wagtails present along the farm track with the odd Meadow Pipit flushed from the field margins. It was good to be back out there again just looking. Discovering a group of Greenfinches made my day - how sad is that? My year list has now reached the grand total of 78 species - that's even sadder?
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4 comments:

  1. Steve Gale31 January 2017 at 07:48

    Dyl, the past couple of years has seen a mini comeback for Greenfinches here in Banstead.

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    1. Dylan Wrathall31 January 2017 at 10:56

      I probably missed the demise of the local Greenfinch population due to being distracted by my angling exploits. However, it has come as quite a shock to discover that the garden feeders have remained Greenfinch free since the Autumn and it took me over four weeks to see my first of 2017. I will be really interested to see if the five territories, which were occupied last year, are taken up again once Spring arrives. I'm hoping that this pattern of occurrence is due to migration, not disease, and is something I've simply overlooked in the past?

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  2. Stewart31 January 2017 at 17:06

    Dylan, Greenies used to be one of my commonest garden birds in another house I lived in with up to 40 at any one time. Now, I get maybe 2 a year if that! A very sad situation for a once very common bird...

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    1. Dylan Wrathall31 January 2017 at 22:32

      Stewart, I don't think that Greenfinches have ever been numerous at any of my homes, be they in Hertfordshire or Kent. The current garden numbers would probably peak around half a dozen at any one time, they seem to be particularly attracted to sunflower hearts? I was probably right out of the loop when the ravages of Trichomonosis really took its' toll and the population declined at an incredible rate. I am clinging to the hope that my Newlands breeding birds have migrated away and will be back at their nest sites come the Spring. Now I have been made aware of the "bigger picture" I'm rather interested to see how the 2017 breeding season pans out. Cheers for taking time to comment - all the best - Dyl

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