Bullfinches

Bullfinches are quite secretive birds that are rarely seen; once spotted, however, they are unmistakable. Despite being only 15 cm or so in length, fairly standard for a finch, they look considerably larger due to their stocky, bullish shape. Adult males have a dark black cap, grey backs, black tails, white rump and, most strikingly, a bright reddish pink breast. In adult females the breast is a duller more plum-like colour which is less eye-catching but equally attractive.

Bullfinches can be found all over the UK, although they are most concentrated in the south east. They spend most of their time well-hidden in dense undergrowth in woodlands, but will sometimes venture into gardens, especially those which are large and contain plenty of shrubs. They are birds that like company, and will normally be found in a pair, or in a family group in the colder months. Their diet consists mainly of buds, berries and seeds, particularly those from the Ash tree. Unfortunately their penchant for the buds of fruit trees can make them hugely unpopular with orchard owners, who used to trap and kill hundreds of the birds. And on-form bullfinch can apparently destroy thirty buds per minute; it is unlikely to even eat all of these.

Bullfinches are not ones for flying great distances and rarely travel over 100 km in the UK. Their cousins in northern Europe are more adventurous, and often make migrations in search of food, but those here prefer to stay put, making use of garden seed feeders in times of scarcity. To breed, female bullfinches find concealed spots in bushes or small trees and build small, untidy nests from twigs, moss and fine roots. Into these they lay four to six greenish blue eggs which soon hatch into fledgelings that are looked after by both parents.

A female bullfinch seeing off the approach from a greenfinch on a snowy day in the garden.

Despite their reputation for shyness and secrecy, the family of bullfinches that have taken up residence in our garden this year are rather ballsy characters. Whereas most birds fly out to the feeder, hover there long enough to take a quick peck and then scarper, the bullfinches will quite happily sit on the feeder’s edge for extended periods of time, shooing off any other birds who try to get close. They are not at all easily spooked and give off a definite air of being 'in charge'... at least until something really big like a buzzard turns up!

Fieldfares

Fieldfares are the most colourful members of the thrush family. About the size of a blackbird at around 25 cm long, they are distinguished from other thrushes by their blue-grey heads, black tails and reddish breasts. They are common in northern Europe and Asia all year round but only visit the UK for the winter. Most fieldfares seen in Britain have made the substantial trek over from Scandinavia, arriving exhausted at our shores from October onwards. Once here they are most often head for farmer's fields and parkland, where they form large flocks with similar birds such as redwings. If food is scarce they will occasionally venture individually into gardens, taking advantage of grain and seed left out for them by humans, but by far the best place to see them is the open countryside.

Their diet mostly comprises worms and insects, which they peck their way through soft earth to find. If the ground freezes and this activity becomes impossible then they will feed instead on fruit and berries, with hawthorn bushes being a particular favourite. In the event that conditions become particularly harsh they may even give up on the UK and migrate further south into the continent. Fieldfares are rather nomadic and have no real loyalty concerning where they head to. They will migrate to a different place each year, if they bother to migrate at all; many are quite content not to fly all the way over the North Sea and hence remain all year in Scandinavia. Those who do come over here will return home by May at the latest in order to breed. They build their tidy nests in trees, often in groups, and lay five to six speckled blue eggs.

This particular fieldfare has spent all day in our garden, putting up with the odd bit of bullying from blackbirds in order to feast on some apples that we laid out this morning. He (or she, the sexes are very similar in appearance) has grown in confidence throughout the day and now seems quite content in what for him is not a particularly natural environment. In fact, as I write this he has grown sufficiently cocky that it is him chasing other birds away rather than the other way around! The snow has been lying thickly on the ground for over a week now, and so he has ventured away from his normal haunts in search of an alternative food supply, which we are more than happy to provide him with. As long as he leaves some for everyone else...