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.
Mike F sent this email into the Birds inbox:
I read David Lindo’s article with interest.
I have lived at my current address in Chapmanslade, Wiltshire for over 30 years and until 2 years ago I had never seen a bullfinch here. However, in the very cold winter weather of 2010 a male bullfinch and two females turned up at my birdfeeder and then returned on a regular basis. Unfortunately I have not seen either of the females in the last 6 months but the male continues to turn up and provides a great slash of colour on otherwise dull days.
Margaret sent this email into the Birds mailbox:
Since moving to our current house in October 2010, we've been delighted to have regular visits from bullfinches.
Initially, the sightings were of an individual male, then in the cold weather last winter, we saw him with a female. Last summer we had the delight of seeing a whole family of young being fed on the lawn underneath our birdfeeders. They have visitied daily since that time and often make several visit spread through the day. Indeed, as the winter has progressed they seem to be present most of the time. Yesterday, we counted 6 at once, all feeding, either below the feeders or actually on them. There were 2 beautiful males and 4 females. Wonderful!
They seem to favour sunflower seeds which we have in a feeder hanging from a tree just outside our kitchen window. The females seem particularly to like the waste seeds on the lawn and often feed in a group of 3 or 4 at a time.
Our garden backs onto open fields and there is a thick hedge immediately behind the tree containing the feeders. They almost always appear from the cover provided by this hedge. However, they seem to show little fear and are not the secretive bird I remember from childhood visits to my grandmother in Hampshire. They regularly perch in a row on one of the branches of the tree, waiting for a gap in the traffic to the feeder and then fly down to it, sometimes up to 3 on the feeders at once.
Dref sent this email into the Birds inbox:
Here in our garden in urban/rural Tavistock, Devon we have at least two pairs all the year round. Each year both pairs definitely breed nearby and in due course proudly parade their new young. Usually four per brood and at least two broods per year! Coal, Long-tailed, Great, Blue and Willow/Marsh? Tits are all present as are one or two Nuthatches. Not a sign of any Green Finches but a "flock" of House sparrows ( about eight) have moved in over the past few days which is a rare sight indeed in this garden. Mind you there is also a male Sparrow Hawk resident! We also have Buzzards, Kestrel and Peregrine resident in the immediate vicinity so I anticipate some nervous breakdowns amongst the smaller of our feathered friends. Our usual Gold crest has turned up in the last few days and, as in other years, will no doubt stay until the breeding season.
Gill sent this email into the Birds inbox:
Seen more frequently in my garden over the past couple of years. Currently one pair feeding regularly on bird table & feeders. Seem to like sunflower hearts & black sunflower seeds. They leave my fruit trees alone happily.
Nicola sent this email into the Birds mailbox:
I have been feeding the birds in my garden for years and love watching them. I have many species that come and go. I have a daily visit of bullfinches. Two females and one male today. Don t know what has happened to the other male! Their favourite food is black sunflower seeds.