Chaffinch sitting in a tree

Five Chaffinch sitting in a tree . . . can you spot them below?

Although the Chaffinch is a common garden bird in England, I don't think I ever grow tired of watching them, with their sort of hopping motion on the ground, looking for a bit of seed or goody. They sport earthy and warm colors, spiked with white and black on their wings, and the males have a rich color of rust on their bellies. The colors brighten and fade throughout the year, depending on the season.

Even though we have an easy-to-access raised table feeder filled with enticing seeds and suet, the Chaffinches always peck for food on the ground, along with the greedy wood pigeons. Seems that life would be easier and more fulfilling if they could just manage hopping into the raised table feeder.

These photos were taken on a blustery February day, as the Chaffinch hung onto a naked plum tree. Once the leaves fill in, our garden birds are much harder to watch and photograph.

Garden Guests

We keep seed and suet feeders in our back garden in England. We attract a wide range of birds, including Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Parrots (Ring-Necked Parakeets), Starlings, Pigeons, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Long-Tail Tits, Robins, Nuthatches, and more!

Here is a little stop-motion movie I made of a Blue Tit visiting our feeders today.