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The female bullfinch found the nyger seedheads

A pair of bullfinches visited the garden today in the rain. I must say, given the huge amount of sunflower hearts kicking around out there it was a bit off of them to spend ten minutes eating buds off the blackcurrant bushes. Luckily we can spare a few buds: the bushes are both as tough as old boots and very productive (I'm still working my way through the last three pounds of currants in the freezer).

Male bullfinch abusing the hospitality of the garden

Both of the coal tits came in at the same time this morning which gave me a rare opportunity to see the differences between them. The male's underparts are flushed with a rich peach orange whereas the female's are a warm straw brown. When they're sat side-by-side on a branch the difference is obvious but when they're feeding on their own it's a very subtle difference and an easy one to miss if the light's not on your side.

• Black-headed Gull 1 overhead
• Blackbird 1
• Blue Tit 3
• Bullfinch 2 pair
• Carrion Crow 1
• Coal Tit 2 pair
• Collared Dove 1
• Feral Pigeon 1
• Goldfinch 1
• Great Tit 2 pair
• House Sparrow 14
• Jackdaw 1
• Magpie 1
• Robin 2
• Starling 1
• Woodpigeon 1

Barton Clough

An hour's wander round the local patch in the pouring rain was predictably quiet.

• Black-headed Gull 1
• Blackbird 7
• Blue Tit 2
• Bullfinch 1
• Carrion Crow 2
• Chaffinch 1
• Common Gull 3
• Dunnock 1
• Feral Pigeon 8
• Fieldfare 3
• Goldfinch 3
• Great Tit 1
• Herring Gull 1 overhead
• House Sparrow 8
• Magpie 14
• Mistle Thrush 2
• Robin 1
• Starling 11
• Woodpigeon 13