Topic: Goldfinch numbers

[naff]

While at work today on Gowy landfill site in Cheshire ( I,m a CQA engineer) I was absolutely amazed by the number of Goldfinches active on site. In the space of 30 mins I counted, in 7 flocks about 400/550 birds. I,ve done bird counts before so am confident I have,nt over counted. Has anyone noticed a rise in their local population this year?

[angle shades]

 :) yes!! they are everywhere, they are always at my lottie and they sometimes nest there, but this year we have a charm in our garden for the first time and everywhere I go  I hear them before I see them, if you know what I mean and they seem very tame.The lottie numbers have increased greatly.

I posted last year about the lack of Greenfinches, and in this neck of the woods it is still the case, if I do see one its ill :( Their numbers seem to have dropped dramatically here. / shades x

[naff]

Hi Shades,

When you say the Greenfinches are ill how does the illness manifest itself?
Does the bird appear fluffed up as though it,s cold?
Does it occupy the feeder all day and seem docile and unwary?
I,ve had 2 die this year and want to find the cause or probable cause. I even dosed the sunflower seeds they were eating with an antibiotic (Amoxycillin) to see if it would help.

[angle shades]

Well naff we don't get Greenfinches in our garden anymore,and we used to have a garden full,

any ill ones I see are at my lottie where I grow masses of sunflowers.

this year I've seen three Greenfinches and one was ill, fluffed up and on the ground, and couldn't fly,heavy breathing and drooling saliva

last year  I saw one also on the ground with the same symptoms, which I believe is a disease called trichomoniasis, see the RSPB website for more details, hope this helps / shades x

[honeybee]

I always have an abundant supply of sunflower seeds in the garden so consequently the goldfinch and greenfinch are always on the feeders, such messy eaters too...lol

If I stand and watch for a while I will also see Mr and Mrs Bullfinch sneaking in, but you have to be lucky to see them as they dont hang around like the other finches.

[naff]

Thanks Shades, that seems to be the answer. Shame that we can,t help them.