Thistle Finch*

My pics have been mainly of birds today. I shot Mr Blackie and his two youngsters on the front lawn early this morning. The grass hasn't needed cutting for ages and now it's bleached white with hawkweed seedheads aplenty but no colour.

A male greenfinch was singing its wheezy song from the ash tree by the farm. What gorgeous yellow-green plumage it has. He was right at the top so my image hasn't much detail.

My pic is of a goldfinch from the flock that is always around our field area. They love the burdock and thistle seeds. I've been trying to get a decent pic of them on the thistles. This one flew up from them and landed briefly on a hawthorn that overhangs the route that Ollie dog and I take.

Thank Goodness it was much cooler today. MrQ feels a lot better.

*The scientitifc name of a goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis, is derived from the Latin for a thistle, Carduus.