European Goldfinch

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European Goldfinch
European Goldfinch

European Goldfinch / carduelis carduelis. Northumberland. 15/05/24.

Colour and movement caught my eye on a low vegetated slope, at the edge of a coastal car park. Various walkers passing close by, failed to notice the two little jewels I'd spotted.

A pair of Goldfinch, resplendent in bright breeding plumage, were feasting on dandelion seeds. I watched them for over 10 minutes, enjoying the opportunity to make behavioural images of their feeding techniques.

It was early evening, so the dandelion heads were loosely closed. A bird would select a head and tug out some fluffy parachutes with the seeds attached. Some inevitably dropped, but those in the beak were manipulated so that the seeds reached the bird's mouth.

The bird in this photograph has achieved getting two seeds up to its beak. One seed is inside its mouth, the other, just gripped at the end. You can also also see a litter of fluffy parachutes around the bird's feet.

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Taken on: May 15, 2024
Sets appears in:   • Upload to flickr    • Birds   
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