A male bullfinch coming into land on the feeder

From early this sunny but cold morning I’ve noticed the birds have been thronging around the feeders. 

I replenished the sunflowers in the empty feeder soon after I’d had a cup of tea, and somewhat later after a strong coffee I topped up the suet pellets. Different bird species favour certain foods either because their bills can’t poke through the squirrel-proof wire mesh, or they can’t use their claws to grip onto those which have more open access.

I watched the birds flying about the garden’s trees and shrubs. there were a ;pair of blackcaps, two pairs of bullfinches, countless blue-tits and great tits, a nuthatch, many male and female blackbirds, goldfinches, robins and magpies. I’ve noticed amazed that at least one magpie can now cling onto one of the feeders and somehow dip its big beak into sunflower seeds in the holes cavities. The ribins seemed to have learnt to do that sometime ago and are able to cling on to the perches, something I was told was impossible for them to manage.

When the sun shone weakly late this afternoon I tried to spot the blackcaps which are probably the most elusive and private at the moment, but they kept away from my lens once again. I did manage to catch this male bullfinch on its ascending flightpath to the sunflower feeder, although it was keeping its eyes on me as usual. They seem to be less afraid of my presence these days, probably because their need for the food we provide is more urgent on such cold winter days.