I hope you enjoyed reading ‘Urban Birder’ David Lindo’s latest piece for Birds magazine on his encounters with bullfinches. If you haven’t read it yet, do turn to page 77 of the Spring 2012 issue.
We asked you to let us know about your own experiences with these chunky finches in the magazine, so I thought I’d share one of my experiences with bullfinches to help get things rolling.
It’s always nerve racking meeting your partner’s parents for the first time, but even more so when you make that first trip to go and stay at their house. Amidst desperately trying to avoid all those social faux pas and remembering my manners on that first weekend in Yorkshire, my eyes were drawn to the bird feeders hanging outside.
Remembering that it is probably quite rude to stare out of the window when I should be making that all important first impression, all hope went out the window (literally) when a rose-breasted vision of beauty dressed in a silver jacket dropped down onto one of the seed feeders: a bullfinch!
From that first encounter forth, it has always been a pleasure to go and visit my girlfriend’s parents, Sue and Graham, because up to two pairs of bullfinches are a near constant presence in both front and back gardens. I should also state that it is also a pleasure to visit Sue and Graham because they are sparkling company and excellent hosts. The finches are merely a bonus! Waking up to the finches’ soft ‘peeuh’ calls outside the window is a very pleasant experience indeed. They are often the first birds I see each day.
As David says in his feature, bullfinches are sadly so much rarer now, making sightings like these even more precious.
Does your home for nature, include a place for bullfinches?
What do your bullfinches do?I’m not lucky enough to have bullfinches coming to my feeders in my garden, but it would be great to hear from anyone who does. Please let us know by posting a comment below (you’ll need to register on the RSPB Community first), or emailing Nature's Home magazine at natureshome@rspb.org.uk and I'll add your stories to the blog.
Malcome H sent this email into the Birds magazine mailbox:
I am in the fortunate position to have the opposite position to David Lindo in that I have increased the number of bullfinches in my garden from 0 to 3pairs.Hopefully these will remain with me .They have all they should need from the plantings of fruit trees ,fruit bushes and a good variety of natve trees including hawthorn and ash.I also planted numerous Forsythia bushes after watching them feed on the buds .I get all the apples and plums thatI can eat without the finches impacting on the crop so I feelhonoured to have so many of these gorgeous birds in the garden especially when they are all together at the feeding station at this time of the year.
Billy sne this email into the Birds magazine inbox:
I really enjoyed David Lindo’s article, as always. I live high up in east central Scotland (10 miles west of Edinburgh) and have had one or two bullfinches visit during the colder months both this year and last. They always appear when it’s early and quiet and only to peck at a Himalayan honeysuckle in the shady north part of my garden. I was planning to dig this up but have reprieved it purely on the chance of seeing bullfinches in winter. They have to be the most vivid birds we get, and always a joy.
Graham sne this email into the Birds magazine inbox:
Just a brief note to say that we regulary have at least one pair,often 2 pairs in the garden together. They come to a covered open feeder and a hanging feeder. Usually shy. My garden is medium sized /suburban in Haslemere,Surrey.
I often see a pair in the local NT land 2 miles away.Lovely birds.
Alan sne this email intothe Birds magazine inbox:
I read with interest the article - 'where have all the Bullfinches gone.' Since my childhood 'Finches' have always been of great interest to me especially bullfinches and goldfinches. I must have been very fortunate as I have always been able to find them and see them. Living where I do is ideal territory for Bullfinches - large gardens - mature shrubbs - large hedgerows and fields - for how much longer remains to be seen.! I have quite a large garden and currently regularly see two pairs, often together, on our feeding station. Usually on the sunflower hearts. One of the males is such a brilliant colour compared to the other - its chest is almost a 'chestnut red'. I have attached some photo's of him. They don't do him true justice really. I have two feeding stations and in the breeding season one pair uses one and another pair uses the other. Neither pair nest in my garden one pair comes in from the north from a local hedge lined footpath and the other flies off to the south towards other gardens.
In 2011 the southern pair had at least two youngsters as they used to bring them to the feeders to learn how to feed. Could the four current visitors be that same family? I see bullfinches quite regularly while driving around locally darting along the hedgerows and also we have a number of pairs on our golf course especially during the breeding season.
Reading the comments it would appear I am very fortunate to see these beautiful birds regularly and long may it last. Perhaps one day they may honour me with nesting in my garden !!
Graham sent this email into the Birds magazine inbox:
We moved from South Oxfordshire to Lyme Regis last June and have been amazed at the number of Bullfinches in our garden. We have a minimum of 6 on our feeders every day. (Sunflower hearts) In August we had the additional pleasure of having the numbers increased by juveniles and on one occasion we counted 11 Bullfinches in total. Our garden is sheltered on one side by a mixture of mature trees but on the others the aspect is open and adjoins a mixture of low density housing and farmland.
However, in our previous house, which was surrounded by old orchards, they were a rarity and we only saw one at a time on very few occasions.