Family is very handy, don't you find? On my way down from Wales last week, I was able to stay overnight halfway down at my sister's house in Staffordshire.
Now she only got into gardening about three years ago, and I was very flattered to find that she had enacted almost precisely the plan I had suggested for her garden.
I repaid the compliment by spending six hours digging for her. Oh, and we had a nice trip around a couple of garden centres and their cafes to!
More of that in my next blog, but I have to show you this. While I was toiling away breaking up the hard pan in a particularly troublesome part of her garden, I heard the soft 'pew pew' of Bullfinches. If you don't know the call, imagine someone trying to whistle but being ever so bashful and embarrassed.
An hour or so later, I heard them again and saw them fly through into the neighbours' garden.
Peering over the fence, there they were, enjoying the seed on a bird table (although I only managed to photograph the male).
I like too the homespun Wood Pigeon deterrent the neighbours had used - very simple, and probably very effective in a roofed bird table like this.
Now my sister hadn't seen Bullfinches around her garden before, despite having a very similar bird table. So I suggested that we move the table to a new position, away from being slap-bang up against a leylandii hedge, and into the ley of a young oak and rowan tree, about four feet from cover.
And next day, there he was, happily munching. Gorgeous!
Now Bullfinches have a reputation of being a bit set in their ways, unwilling to adapt. And until 2007 they were Red listed because of their serious population declines.
But there are signs - just little signs - that they have turned the corner in both respects. Populations are beginning to increase. And while still a rare garden bird, they seem to be learning that they can be that little more bold and enjoy the things we have to offer in gardens.
I live in hope in my garden!
If you want to drop by my RSPB wildlife gardening blog, it is updated every Friday, and I'd love to see you there - www.rspb.org.uk/community/blogs/hfw
A sad tale indeed. Bullfinches are known to have a weak collarbone - it is a bit of a design flaw. So impact with a window, that many birds can survive, can be a real problem for them. Let's hope with their national population bounceback that a return is not too far away to your garden.
We had a pair of Bullfinches visit the garden for the first time last year, they popped in more and more often until they were daily visitors. We were hoping because they were a pair they would remain and breed. One morning while having coffee we heard what sounded like someone knocking on the window, when we went to investigate we found both Bullfinches dead on the ground, they must have both flown into the window at almost the same time. I hate losing birds.
If two found the feeders more might in the future.
Build it and they will come.