The title here might suggest that I could be referring to heating my tiny greenhouse, but no, very few plants remain in there. This morning it was my house that needed the chill lifted – this is June and even in Scotland not something I would normally do. As I opened my curtains and looked out at the cold, grey and windy morning my thoughts turned to the birds looking for food at the feeders. No sooner was I inside and the feeders were well attended.
Goldfinches, shown above, have been increasing in numbers once again and so too have the numbers of greenfinches. I expect they have all been busy with nesting too and now they are all returning to their usual feeding habits. It is lovely to see them all back again.
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Heating on!
15 June 2007
We are sitting at 8 degrees here, shirl, with the heating on too! Love your superb photos of the goldfinch, the ones of the robin in an earlier post, the cute guinea pig, the amazing colour of your mecanopsis… and I’m turning a shade of green looking at the fabulous growth on your wonderful wisteria.
Hi again, Wildlife Gardener
The heating is on this morning once again – another cold, windy and wet day. I hope you are not located near any rivers that could burst banks and flood your house and garden.
Thanks, I unsuccessfully tried to take more new goldfinch photos – they are one of the more jumpy of the finches that visit my garden but I was pleased to catch it on the cotoneaster when it has blossom. I was particularly delighted with the robin and meconopsis photos.
My wisteria – well if you have one you will know how absolutely thrilled I was with its flowers this year. The leaves are all out now too so the flowers themselves are sadly more hidden. It’s a busy time so I am late with my GBBD post – if it is dry tomorrow I will get out with the camera then and you will see how it looks now.
We don’t call these birds goldfinches but putters. My dad used to breed these birds putters or thistle finches ( Carduelis, carduelis) years ago. Nowadays he breeds what we call goldfinches (Pyrrhula, pyrrhula). 🙂
What is the common British name for the Dutch goldfinch?
Confusing isn’t it? 😉
BTW love that white wisteria of yours, very pretty. Is it scented too?
What a pity it’s so cold over in Scotland that both you and WG had to put the heating back on. Hopefully the warm weather will return to Scotland soon!
Hi again, Yolanda
I had no idea there were different types of goldfinches – my RSPB book on Birds in Britain and Europe only list one. It shows our goldfinch species as Carduelis carduelis and your Pyrrhula pyrrhula as a bullfinch which looks quite different. The bullfinch looks more like our chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs). We get a lot of finches visiting our garden and I am always on the look out for a bullfinch which I have never seen!
How interesting to hear of the different names used for birds in two European countries. I still find it amazing that Blue Tits have up to three broods per year with you in the Netherlands. Very interesting to hear too, that your Dad has breeds finches – what does he do with them and does he keep them in cages? BTW today it is Father’s Day in the UK – do you have such a day in the Netherlands?
My wisteria has a heavenly scent. I will get out with my camera for GBBD this morning before it rains again. All my plants will look a little sad with their beatings of wind and rain over the last few days. Today doesn’t feel as cold inside at the moment but I do think the heating will be on at some point again – I have never known a June so cold.
Shirl, you’re right our finches look nothing alike. I love the red on the face of the European finch. We have purple finches that have a redish purple head, but not anything like the red markings of your finch.
Hi there, Robin
We have a few different finches here too – I am looking forward to seeing more photos of yours 🙂 When I get good photos of ours I’ll post them so you can see our selection 🙂