Wednesday 27 May 2015

An Unexpected Flash of Colour

The rarer garden visitors always appear when least expected with a camera being in the wrong room. Nipped through to the kitchen and spotted bright orange/red down the end of the garden. A male Bullfinch. Only the second time I have seen one visit. Grabbed the camera and, of course, it was nowhere to be seen. Hung around, watching and hoping, and spotted some movement near the back of the greenhouse. A female Bullfinch. This time I was able to grab a few shots before she vanished:

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I carried on watching and you could have knocked me down with a feather when two appeared together including the brightly coloured male:

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Only record shots as the light was fading but seeing them seems a good enough reason to allow the odd dandelion to go to seed. I did wonder whether the paler coloured one was a juvenile. It did seem to be taking food from the male but the head should be brown on a youngster.

12 comments:

  1. Ages since I've seen one. You are a lucky chap.

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    1. Adrian: In spite of being so bright they seem difficult to spot. Being in the right place at the right time seems the only way.

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  2. Replies
    1. TWG: It was lovely to see such a bright splash of colour.

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  3. I've not seen one for a little while, but on my patch they are a far easier spot in winter

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    1. SDT: Don't think they come out in the open like that very often.

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    1. Wilma: Thank you. Lucky to be looking at just the right time.

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  5. John, I am quite, quite envious here. We have seen brief glimpses of a male Bullfinch (seriously brief) and a camera wasn’t close enough in time. I’d love to have had record shots. Hope you get a chance at some video on another visit :-)

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    1. Shirley: It was unusual for them to be in the open for such a long time. I was just about to switch over to video when they flew away. Surprisingly the male was first spotted on a peanut feeder.

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  6. I would have said that it was an adult female John.
    It doesn't look like any juvenile I have photogrpahed.

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    1. Roy: Thanks for that confirmation. They seemed to be rubbing beaks together and exchanging food so maybe part of a bonding process. Not seen them often enough or long enough to know what their normal behaviour pattern is.

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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