David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

________________________ Birds 12 - Finches

                                    CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs (m)

                                    CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs (f)

                               BRAMBLING Fringilla montifringilla (m)

                                    GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris (m)

                                    GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris (f)

                                    GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis

                                              SERIN Serinus serinus

                                           SISKIN Carduelis spinus

                         LESSER REDPOLL  Acanthis flammea cabaret

                                       LINNET Acanthis cannabina

                                     CROSSBILL Loxia curvirostra

• All of the above images were taken in Britain, with the exception of the Linnet and the Serin.  These were photographed in northern Spain. Most finches (e.g. Chaffinch, Greenfinch) demonstrate sexual dimorphism whereas others (e.g. Goldfinch) don’t. The colours are at their brightest during the breeding season.

• The Brambling, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll are all winter visitors to the British Isles, arriving in variable numbers each year. Alder trees should be checked for Siskins and birches for Redpolls during spells of icy weather.

• The Crossbill is a fascinating irruptive species which puts in sporadic appearances from time to time in Britain. The female shown above was part of a summer flock of 20 seen at a Surrey nature reserve, unfortunately in very challenging light conditions.  Fortunately the highly specialised feeding apparatus which gives this species its name is just visible. These confiding birds strip pine trees of their seeds and they may be detected by the noise of falling cone fragments (which sound distinctly like raindrops)!

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