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Project Noah Nature School
Carduelis carduelis
A highly coloured finch with a bright red face and yellow wing patch. Sociable, often breeding in loose colonies, they have a delightful liquid twittering song and call. Their long fine beaks allow them to extract otherwise inaccessible seeds from thistles and teasels. Increasingly they are visiting birdtables and feeders. In winter many UK goldfinches migrate as far south as Spain.
Anywhere there are scattered bushes and trees, rough ground with thistles and other seeding plants. Likes orchards, parks, gardens, heathland and commons. Less common in upland areas and most numerous in southern England.
A nice change from the usual starlings and sparrows that we get up here. I was surprised to see them (there were three) so far north.
Spotted on Nov 25, 2011
Submitted on Nov 25, 2011
1 Comment
We have actually since and for some more days temperatures around -10 C° and for the first time I see some Goldfinches on our garden on a regular base. Just wonderful birds! Great spotting!