Have anyone else's goldfinches disappeared?

Tringa · #1 (**permalink**) 10-04-2011, 07:09 PM

In the last three years we have had a visit from goldfinches in late Jan/early Feb and they would stay about two or three weeks.

This winter they appeared early when the cold weather and snow of last December arrived. Since then they have been on the feeders on a daily basis - anywhere between 6 and 20 at a time. When I did the garden Birdwatch goldfinches were the top species.

Since about last Wednesday there have been none. By their numbers and behaviour they made themselves very noticeable so their disappearance is obvious.

This is probably a very local thing but has anyone else seen similar changes?

Dave

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 10-04-2011, 07:18 PM

They will have gone to establish breeding territories and start building nests I should imagen. Flocks will have dispersed. I dont think its anything more sinister, as a whole the species is increasing in Britain.

My local birds are no longer in flocks but in pairs or in the odd small group.

royden53 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-04-2011, 08:36 PM

Almost the same as yours Dave, flocks of up to 15 through the winter and definitely my most common bird and now - nothing. I may be lucky and see 1 in a day but today none have visited unless they do it whilst my back's turned.

David

rossy · #4 (**permalink**) 10-04-2011, 09:31 PM

mine is the opposite, i hadnt noticed but the nijer seeds were going quickly, then i spotted 6 , which has increased from 2, im not complaining though, and they arent shy, they will come down whilst im in the garden , about 20 ft away, but as put, they will be off to breed, they will return later in the year, rossy.

witham · #5 (**permalink**) 11-04-2011, 08:22 AM

here were we live in Lincs we've had assorted numbers all winter the most I saw was 29, we still have some although not so many perhaps 6 - 10, we have two niger feeders but they seem to spend more time on the sunflower heart feeders

htcdude · #6 (**permalink**) 11-04-2011, 08:24 AM

The last 2 weeks I've had the first pair of Goldfinch ever to visit my garden! And they're still here so no shortage for me

Nige

nikolai_avenger · #7 (**permalink**) 11-04-2011, 08:49 AM

Pretty much the same situation here, Dave. We had between 6-10 in and around our gardens, but the 'winter flock' has now dispersed and the odd one here and there can been seen/heard singing from someone's telly aerial (on Saturday it was ours) or in one of the tall trees in the adjacent gardens.

As Dogghound says, they will probably be off to raise the next generation right about now and I am sure they will grace you with their prescence in the colder months again in numbers.

Cheers. Nik.