Worm's Eye View Of A Cherry Blossom Thief

I always scan the trees in the garden for wildlife before I walk through the nursery down to the field. (I don't have bird feeders.) I was extremely surprised this morning to see a cock bullfinch in an ornamental cherry tree close to the house as these are very shy birds. We have a small flock that live in the disused nursery scrub. I often hear their mournful song and catch sight of white rumps as they take flight when I approach. I very rarely manage a decent shot.

This bird was so wrapped up in eating the cherry blossom buds that it didn't notice me below it through the twigs. When I was a child bullfinches were much more numerous and reviled by owners of orchards because of their predilection for the flower buds. The population went into severe decline but recently has started to recover slightly. I read the other day that a naturalist from Norway has proved what was long suspected - bullfinches mate for life. I have also read today that the bullfinch is the only finch to have a special sac in the bottom of its mouth for storing food to take to its young. The collective noun for bullfinches is a bellowing. :)