There was a time when we became hugely excited if we saw a goldfinch, and even more so if they came in a flock - called a 'charm of goldfinches' - but these days, thanks to copious amounts of sunflower kernels dispensed from the feeders in our garden, we see many of these beautiful, chatty little birds every day.
However, they and all the other small birds which visit us have a price to pay, running the gauntlet of....
....our local sparrowhawk, which has been noticeably active in recent weeks.
The sparrowhawk is one of three raptor species which we see from our garden. The second is a pair of red kites which often wheels above us, and the third....
....a family of buzzards. This is their 'chick', a noisy character who sits in the pine woodland at the front of our house and screams until it's fed.
This is today's fourth bird, one of several wren families which inhabit the local woodlands. At this time of year the parents are run ragged by their young, which have to learn to fly in what is often quite dense woodland. We therefore encounter them along the paths we follow through the woods, sometimes flying almost straight at us and only veering away at the last possible moment.
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