Monday 13 February 2012

Humber Bridge Bullfinches

This morning we went for a walk along Hessle Foreshore and the Humber Bridge Country Park. It was breezy and cold in the shore, where we watched a flock of Turnstones, a pair of Redshanks and a flock of resting Dunlins on the shore.
It was milder once in the shelter of the trees, but the paths were very icy with the thaw well underway and the walking treacherous. We had brought some seed mix with us for the bird feeding station.
Not many people had been today and there was no seed on the feeders. The birds were quite hungry, and they literally pounced on us as we put seeds on the feeders. Blue tits, Robins, Great Tits, Chaffinches, a few Blackbirds and a Long-tailed Tit fed in a colourful merry go round from branches to the feeders. Occasionally, all birds left at once, to come back after a few seconds.
After a few minutes, we heard the unmistakable calls of Bullfinches. First a female on a tree, then males arrived and flew down. We had lovely views of the Bullfinches, which were firsts for the kids. At some point three males were sitting on a row in one of the feeders. The photos don't make them justice, they are much pinkier and brighter in real life.
Dunlins
Bold robin
Male Chaffinch
male and female Bullfinch
Three male Bullfinches
 A male Bullfinch feeding
A new Butterfly panel next to a meadow

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