Disappearing goldfinches...

It’s that time of year when the watching of birds is almost compulsory. So I was a little disappointed not to see the goldfinches in Wales at the weekend. There was plenty of thistle seed in the feeder but the goldfinches never appeared. Strange, goldfinches usually can’t resist thistle seed, still patience is a virtue so I kept watching. I watched on and off for the few days I was at the cottage – tits, robins, blackbirds and thrushes, greenfinches, chaffinches… but no goldfinches.

On my final morning I decided I’d top up the feeder just in case they decided to come when I’d gone and guess what? The feeders perches were missing, they’d become brittle over the winter and snapped off. No wonder the goldfinches weren’t turning up, they had nowhere to land and perch while they pecked at the seed. The picture was taken last year when the feeder was almost new, it’s a lot more battered now, the results of the winter storms and at some point the perches just went.

I fixed the feeder, drilling a couple of holes and making new perches from wood. I watched for them but they still didn’t come – and then I had to leave.

Gaynor’s in Wales this weekend. She tells me the goldfinches have returned, they are beautiful she tells me, there have been four she says, apparently they are there all of the time from early morning to late evening.

It’s nice to know they are back.