Female Bullfinch

Bullfinch is a striking bird found across the UK throughout the year. The adult male has bright pink underparts and a black head and face. Although seen in gardens it is more commonly associated with scrub and woodland. UK Bullfinch populations have declined by 36% since 1967 Bullfinch can be quite easily overlooked in summer as they are fairly unobtrusive and quiet in behaviour. When seen they’re often in pairs or small loose flocks.
According to the BTO’s Garden BirdWatch, Bullfinch is typically seen in fewer than 10% of gardens in any week, preferring rural gardens connected to small woodlands.
Bullfinch feed on seeds and shoots of fruit trees and sometimes on insects in summer. However, during the spring Bullfinch can sometimes be considered a pest species as they feed on and damage the buds of fruiting trees, such as cherry. In extreme cases Bullfinches have been controlled under licence.
A large finch with a compact body. Adults have a black head and face, grey back, black tail and white rump. Adult males have bright pink-red underparts, whereas the female has greyish-buff underparts. Juveniles have a brown head and face. In flight the white rump patch and broad off-white wing bar is fairly obvious.
The call is a quiet low-pitched short whistle, or fluted ‘phu’ note.

PS. Bowbelle, Blipsnap!