Goldfinch And Burdock ....

.... they like dandelion seeds too. :)

Our daughter and Frankie dog came to ours today. We and Ollie dog were very pleased to see them. While we were walking round the field we heard the football rattle call of fieldfares, the first this season.

Goldfinches always congregate around the burdock seedheads but it's difficult to get close enough for a photo. They have to handle burdock with care. The plant uses its burrs to latch onto the fur and feathers of passing wildlife and spread its seeds to new places. A false move from a goldfinch and its dining table could become its graveyard. I hid in the hedge and managed this shot while Ollie looked on. While I was there I also got a shots of a parakeet and a sparrowhawk in flight. Shame the light wasn't better.