Tag Archives: bird friendly gardening

Goldfinches on the Veranda

Success!! The local flock of overwintering goldfinches (stillits) have found the food I’ve grown on the veranda! I grow burdock (borre) as a root vegetable in a large bucket on the veranda, which attracts a wide range of other organisms, both pollinating insects and other insects that are dependent on Arctium species, insectivorous birds feeding on aforementioned insects in summer and, the highlight, the beautiful goldfinch whose main food is the seed of burdocks in winter here. They could have taken sunflower seeds instead, but they still prefer wild “organic” food to the industrialised supermarket alternative! Goldfinches have even started breeding in small numbers in this area.


  

Bullfinch feeding on Guelder Rose

Bullfinches (dompap) feed on a wide range of natural foods in winter from the seeds of berries like rowan to maple and nettle seeds and shoots and buds of many different trees and bushes. However, this was the first time I’ve recorded them on guelder rose (korsved) berries, Viburnum opulus. They eat the seeds, discarding the flesh. I’ve only seen waxwings (sidensvans) on these berries before.

Bullfinch Nettle Feast

A group of seeding nettles strategically placed in view of a living room window provides a little entertainment in winter ( no, I didn’t plant them, but I deliberately didn’t cut them back). This is important food for various finches in winter including bullfinches (dompap).