Madeiran Chaffinch

A beautiful bird, the Madeiran Chaffinch is really quite different from ours. This one spends his happy days outside the delightful Tea Room at the Palheiro Gardens.

This is my favourite of all the Funchal Gardens I have visited. It is so high above the city and the views over the harbour are stunning. It feels like the garden of a family home. It is kept meticulously and it is a miracle that they avoided serious devastation in the fires of a few years ago. The Ribeira d’Inferno has grown back splendidly.

I love the Camellia walk. The South African plants such as the proteas are amazing. It was quite cloudy today but when shafts of sunshine fell on the magnolias, it was breathtaking.

I’ve used a couple of extras too, but the gorgeous friendly chaffinch won the day.