Finally stuck gold!

Finally I managed to get a photo of our goldfinch couple!

I caught them unawares as they breakfasted on our brick wall, daintily picking away at the cement where the snow hadn’t settled.

And yes, it’s snowing again! What is amazing is that this time last year we were basking in 21 degrees centigrade (that’s 70 degrees farenheit) toasting our lily-white skin ready for the barbeque summer (which we didn’t have, of course).

And at the end of next week we go into British Summer Time (or Daylight Saving Time) when the evenings get lighter and we look forward to a bit of warmth – whatever that is.

Window box borrowers

As usual I’m unable to get a photo of the culprits, so I’ve shown you the aftermath instead.

My husband caught two goldfinches in the act of ‘borrowing’ bits of our window box linings. They are made out of the husks of coconuts, which is perfect fibrous nesting material for small birds.

We don’t mind this, as it gives us pleasure watching them, but there will come a time when we won’t have much window box lining left and our geraniums will fall out!

Pecking for gold

Acknowledgement: Tootlepedal’s blog

I saw a wonderful sight yesterday morning: two goldfinches were sitting on the top of the brick wall that divides our patio from the neighbours’, pecking away at the mortar.

Of course I rushed to get my camera, but when I returned they had gone.

We often see small birds pecking our walls, and it’s quite exciting sometimes when a flock of blue tits dive up under our windows to peck at the pebble dash. They were doing this so frequently my daughter was convinced they had a nest in the eaves.

I checked the RSPB’s website to find out why they were doing this. The three main opinions were that they were collecting grit to put into their gizzards to aid digestion, they were getting nutrients from the mortar which contains limestone, and the calcium carbonate helps with egg shell production, and maybe there are tiny insects and spiders that live amongst the bricks and pebble dash that they cannot resist.

Well these goldfinches can peck away as much as they like, it is a delight to see them!