IT’S not all doom and gloom when it comes to wildlife, as the recent rise of the goldfinch indicates. Since the 1990s, this lovely little bird has gone from strength to strength, probably because lots of gardeners like you are filling up their birdfeeders with sunflower hearts and niger seeds. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you’re in the city, town or countryside, either, because the numbers have gone up consistently in all four countries of the UK.
Winters are often milder these days and this is encouraging goldfinches to nest earlier, so they may have more chance of raising two successful broods per year. Females lay four to five eggs, on average, and their nests are high off the ground, sometimes up to 50ft (15m) above ground. They make a neat cup of moss, grass and rootlets, and they begin breeding between late April and the end of August. They incubate the eggs for 12-13 days and the fledglings spend 14-15 days in the nest. They are fed on a mixture of seeds and invertebrates, and early broods get more invertebrates than seeds.
Esta historia es de la edición December 11, 2021 de Amateur Gardening.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 11, 2021 de Amateur Gardening.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters