Having returned from haircut which involved a 2 mile walk up and down the River Thames where I saw nothing of real interest, I sat down in the garden with a cup of coffee to see a dozen or so strong, winter flock of Goldfinch "bouncing" from tree to tree at the end of the garden.
These are glorious little finches that always appear to be 'enjoying themselves', with a bouncy, undulating flight and a bubbly call. The collective noun for Goldfinches is a "Charm".
Their old english name is "King Harold's bird", a nod to the blood-red patch around their eyes. I happen to like that a lot! The gold part of the Goldfinch name refers to the magnificent yellow flash on their wings - very obvious from a distance.
[photo (c) Arthur Grosset]
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