There have been many times when I have spotted small flocks of Goldfinches darting from treetop to treetop, chattering away and felt tormented because they have always proved to be incredibly difficult to photograph.
I was excited when I heard this chap singing away and hoped to get a decent shot but for a while I couldn't spot him. After a few minutes however I caught a glimpse and slowly, I crept towards him hoping that he would stay still long enough.
Perched high up he caught the early morning sun perfectly, showing off his brilliant plumage. I say "he" because although the females have similar plumage they are slightly duller and have less red on the face so I am fairly confident this one is a male.
These are fairly common birds across the UK and although intensive agriculture has led to reduced numbers garden feeders have helped to maintain the population. Although they are quite common I still count it as a privilege to have got such lovely pictures.
The oldest recorded age for a Goldfinch is 14 years which seems pretty good for such a small and delicate creature.
In the 19th century they were popular cagebirds with 132,000 birds a year being caught in Sussex alone for this purpose. I think I would much rather see them in the wild, on the wing or up a tree than in a cage.
