Scrub Up For The Greenfinch

Wash and scrub bird baths and feeders once a week to help maintain falling greenfinch numbers, urges Graham Clarke.

- Graham Clarke

THE greenfinch is one of the loveliest of garden birds. Roughly the same size as a house sparrow, and with a wheezing, twittering kind of song,it’s more yellow-green than pure green and has a yellow edge to the wings and tail. The females are less brightly coloured than the males, and a bit smaller.

Greenfinches are regular garden visitors, nesting deep into conifers and hedges. In the countryside they’re also found in woods, hedgerows, orchards and farmland close to people. In urban areas it’s town gardens and parks. They can be seen all year round in most of the UK, but tend to visit the north of Scotland only during the summer months.