Winter Birds

This winter has been quite severe for some birds.  With food reserves in the wild very low, we have had some unusual birds in the garden.  This Bullfinch was a surprise amongst the Goldfinches.  It is a very rare visitor to our city garden.

This year we have had more Bullfinches in a day than we have seen in 15 years.  This was a real treat.

There was also a visit from a Greenfinch, another rare visitor.  A pair of these birds were seen on the feeders.

When we first moved to Stoke, Greenfinches were common, feeding on the fruits of the cherry trees and visiting the feeders in dozens.  After the virus epidemic that affected their population we have not seen them for many years.

This Corn Bunting was a surprise.  We have also had Reed Bunting, Jay and Long Tailed Tit, all of which are rarely seen here.
This year we have put out more feeders that ever.  Our garden has good hedge cover and we have two feeding cups on  the top lawn, a seed hanger and fat balls by the conservatory and a feeding station near the greenhouse on the side lawn, with a block for ground feeders.  Twice a day top-ups are a bit costly, but the return is worth the effort.