Greenfinches

[Graham]

Has anyone noticed a reduction in these birds? Usually there are plenty of them nesting in conifer hedges but they seem noticeable only by their absence.

 

Perhaps it's a local thing? Did the cold weather reduce nos?

[nepia]

Numbers have been well down for a couple of years here. In fact the same goes for all finches it seems; I saw my first goldfinch in the garden yesterday for months. Up to two years back there were several pairs almost resident here.

No idea why but we could do with more eh?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

funny ive seen more this year than ever here in herts and bucks?

[nepia]

A couple of years ago (the time is no coincidence) a relative told me that there had been a Europewide disease in finches that had decimated numbers. I've seen or heard no other reference to it; has anyone else?

 

Jon

[armybloke]

Has anyone noticed a reduction in these birds? Usually there are plenty of them nesting in conifer hedges but they seem noticeable only by their absence.

 

Perhaps it's a local thing? Did the cold weather reduce nos?

 

The Greenfinches have contracted a disease called trichomonosis. A quote from a journal I have read recently - Trichomonas typically causes disease at the back of the throat and in the gullet. Affected birds may drool saliva, regurgitate food, have difficulty in swallowing or show laboured breathing. The disease may progress over several days or even weeks, consequently affected birds are often emaciated.

 

Unfortunately not just limited to finches.....

[slasherscot]

i think where and when they turn up depends a lot on the european thermals.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

i think where and when they turn up depends a lot on the european thermals.

 

 

I reckon thats a fair assumption.

 

we have loads of healthy finches (all breeds) here in bucks at the moment, never ever have I known so many in fact.

 

even the goldfinches are in large numbers, a bird along with the bullfinch I am most fond of.

 

it never ceases to amze me how goldfinches arrive at my local fishery just as the teazels mature, their sense of the world they live in is far far superior to ours.

[Yve_Clark]

Looks like there's still a healthy population of greenfinches in the UK, according to the recent RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch results. Highest population seems to be in the Scottish Highlands and the west coast of Scotland, which is strange as I think they are normally summer visitors in the far north. Overall they ranked the 14th most popular garden bird.

 

All the information on the survey is in the result data on the RSPB website: The RSPB: Big Garden Birdwatch: Results 2011 - makes interesting reading

[Logarithm]

Couldn't believe reading this as only yesterday I was thinking theres a definite decline where I am in Essex and I have lived in the same 10 sq miles all my life.

25 years ago they were THE most popular finch in my garden but I've noticed the decline too.

[sasha.p]

Plenty here is south wales too i hear the green finch all the time and so far have spotted a few gold finch feeding off whats left of last years thistle seeds on the banks so there seem to be plenty about I would not say any less than normal here ,but i have seen a big increase in the buzzards about the place they have been stalking the pigeons on the local bridge not sure if they are after chicks or eggs lol