New Garden Visitor - A Goldfinch!

I've said before that where we live we struggle to see any interesting wildlife.

Well this year we have seen a significant increase in visitors, alongside the annual housemartins nesting two-doors-up, we've had blackbirds, sparrows, blue tits and starlings, the usual average British garden birds you might say.

Well last night I spotted a stranger - he was sitting on the apex of the house opposite singing his heart out - a lovely twittery song somewhere between blackbird and skylark. He flew off with spurty swoops onto another roof out of sight. I was convinced he was maybe a baby housemartin, mostly because it was about time they fledged and I had no idea whether they looked the same as the adults or what.

This morning he appeared again and I had time to get my camera - here he is

I've now identified him as a goldfinch - a bird that used to be kept in cages because it was pretty and had a lovely happy song (this RSPB site has a recording of the twittering).

How cool is that!!