Goldfinches chattering in the garden

It has been raining off and on since yesterday evening. Whilst waiting for my coffee to percolate I looked out onto the back garden and saw a group of about thirty goldfinches, usually called a charm swirling in the air above the trees at the bottom of the garden.

I quickly got my camera as although this is not a rare sight it is hard to catch a picture of them all together. Of course they landed in the sycamore tree just before I had my camera ready. I watched them for about twenty minutes in between pouring and sipping my coffee. I got some distant views and at one point I’ve counted twelve goldfinches pecking at the insects on the topmost branches, but they are rather indistinct amongst the leaves.

Talking of leaves, I watched a few of them swirling up and down on the strong breezes rather like large snowflakes appear just before a snow storm. This is definitely an autumnal storm.

A short while later I saw two nuthatches and several blue tits and a coal tit on the sunflower feeder which is hanging off the top of the cabin’s wooden fascia. Then came one goldfinch followed by another and another to push out the tits start gobbling the seeds. A few squabbles occurred before they settled down to the important business of eating.

Finally these two goldfinches flew away but not without a little ‘banter’. Not quite the delightful twittering song that they usually provide, but that will return.

In a point of interest I noticed that the colour of the feathers on the rear goldfinch's head are very different and quite mottled. I think it is moulting and will soon have the full set of red head feathers that the foremost one has.