6 Dec 21

Wakeham

It was a day that started off very cloudy and very wet, but turned into a day of sunshine and hefty showers. I've not got a good track record of venturing out on days like this, as more often or not it rains somewhere along my walk.

So it was a day spent at home doing a few household chores and occasionally taking a break to watch the Goldfinches on the feeders in the back garden.

Birds Recorded:

Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Feral Pigeon

Dunnock

Robin

Great Tit

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

House Sparrow

Goldfinch

Both male and female Great Tits look very similar to each other. However males have a broader black
stripe which extends down the chest and belly, passing between and joining the base of the legs. Females on the other hand, like this one here, have a stripe which is a lot thinner and does not touch the base of the legs. More on Great Tits Here.

These 3 Goldfinches are feeding on Nyjer seeds and they are notoriously difficult to sex. Though it's often the case, that in males the red colouration on the head extends further behind the eye than the female, there are many occasions where this is not the case. The BTO have some guidelines Here and there was a fantastic study Here in sexing Goldfinches by Peter Alker, a ringer from Greater Manchester, back in 2014.

These Goldfinches just love these Nyjer Seeds. Well that was until something scared them off the feeder.