My mum died 4 yrs ago. I miss her like mad. One morning i was very low. Duvet over my head. I live in a 4th floor flat. Wire on our window ledges to stop birds landing. I suddenly heard a lovely little bird chirping outside my window. I thought it had hopped into my bedroom. I opened the curtains. The sweetest little bird looked up at me. Was tempted to come in. I spoke gently to it. It gave me one more look. It looked concerned. Then flitted off. I feel it was my mum. She’d come to tell me she’s free. No more pain!! I’ve lived in my flat for 18 yrs. I’ve never seen a bird land on my window ledge before or since! I think it was a Greenfinch. It was a very special moment.
Wow Vicky, that's a very special story, really lovely, I do hope you have gained some consolation from that visit and you're not feeling so low. Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. Take care! Best wishes, John.
Thanks John. Sweet of you to reply. Some might think i’m mad for what i said. But my mum was Irish, Catholic. She would have felt the same. The fact that the bird kept chirping, was looking right into my room. Was on the ledge in the 1st place, was out of the ordinary. It really did cheer me up. It would be lovely to come back as a bird. Must feel fantastic to feel so free & fly. X
Thanks for the comment Fiona, I only wish they’d visit my garden, I’ve had Goldfinches and Siskins but not Greenfinches or Chaffinches. I guess it depends on where you live.
@@johnluk Yes I only get greenfinches at certain times of the year. Mainly in Spring and sometimes in the Autumn. Ive had 2 pairs visit lately. One of the males is ringed but I dont stand a chance of getting it's number! Would love to know where he was ringed!I get bullfinches and chaffinches too. It took years for the chaffinches to be coaxed into my garden. I put sunflower hearts out. Eventually this encouraged the chaffinches, now theyre one of my more common visitors,along with the goldfinches. I dont know what has happened to the siskins! I always got them visiting throughout Spring. Ive had none visit this year at all. Last visit from them was March or April last year. Not sure what's happened! Maybe climate change has affected them coming?
Thanks Fiona, it’s hard to say if it’s climate change or some other phenomenon, sometimes it’s inexplicable like the huge surge in Hawfinches in 2018. Sounds like you’re having great success with your feeders.
@@johnluk they were virtually wiped out because of that fungus that grew in the peanuts people were feeding them. There isn’t much sign of a recovery. I only see 1 pair a year here in Dorset. I love them, they remind me of home when I was growing up and the start of my love of bird watching.
@@marsha1963 funnily enough I recorded a part of that video in Dorset. I was heading to Arne and the sat-nav took me to a gate at completely the wrong end of the reserve for the visitor centre but a bonus was that I saw and recorded one of the video clips. There are definitely fewer here in Newport than there were just a few year’s ago and I’m sure that virus was to blame.
Sorry DBR and thank you so much, I would have replied earlier but for some reason CZcams thought your post was spam and hid it in a separate folder called 'likely spam' that I've never noticed, I just saw and 'approved' it. now so I can reply and thank you now I know about this folder I'll check it regulalrly. Best wishes.
When ever I see a greenfinch it makes me sad.. :( A time when I was in a layby and I saw a greenfinch. It had been bitten by a weasel. I picked it up, but it died in my hands... But I dearly love them now, they are brilliant birds!
@@johnluk no, its ok, just seeing them on the general, not this particular video. I do enjoy studying them, and reading about them, this is a great vid, cheered me up a bit!! Brian :)
Sorry Happy TV and thank you so much, I would have replied earlier but for some reason CZcams thought your post was spam and hid it in a separate folder called 'likely spam', I just saw and 'approved' it. now so I can reply and thank you now I know about this folder I'll check it regulalrly. Best wishes.
Wow Paul, it's great to hear that my video was useful and lovely to know that it's being watched on the far side of the world. Isn't technology great that it can shrink distances and connect people through their interests? Hope you have a great week!
That’s great to hear, Bullfinches are a bit rarer where I am and so I haven’t managed to record enough footage for a compilation yet. Thanks for taking the time to comment, hope you have a great weekend.
They are really really rare where I am!! They are extremely rare! I never ever saw one in my life. I would like to get a photo with the canon if I see one. Thanks for the great vid!! Loved it X
Excuse me, could you identify the bird that sings a trill at 1:35? It's my favourite bird song and I've never been 100% sure of what it is! Is that the greenfinch??
Hi Ingeborg, it’s a Robin. Hope you don’t mind me giving you a tip but there’s a free app called ‘Merlín’ produced by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and it will attempt to ID a bird from an image or sound. If you open the microphone in the app and point your phone towards the sound source, either live or recorded, it will identify birds and add each species to a list. I’ve found it very useful!
Hi, "Shot of Wildlife" (?) thanks for your kind comment. I've already done a video of the Hawfinch but instead of just linking that I am just including a link to my "British Birds and their Calls" playlist where you can see it. It's an evolving thing so I'll be adding the Greenfinch in there today. Hope you like it! czcams.com/play/PLspuFV4uc0fIrqGKDnrK6RbkVWAzdw2Sy.html
Hi Tim, I live in South East Wales but the Hawfinch footage was shot in the neighbouring Forest of Dean. There’s a well known place in Parkend where the birds can be reliably seen in January and February. This one focusing on Hawfinch has footage from the FOD and some locally captured when there was an ‘irruption’ three years ago. czcams.com/video/gV51oSm7CJM/video.html
Thanks for your reply! I wish I could say I see them regularly but I've only seen one in the summer because they spend most of their time in the tree canopy. In the winter they forage for fallen seeds and there's a better chance of seeing them.
My mum died 4 yrs ago. I miss her like mad. One morning i was very low. Duvet over my head. I live in a 4th floor flat. Wire on our window ledges to stop birds landing. I suddenly heard a lovely little bird chirping outside my window. I thought it had hopped into my bedroom. I opened the curtains. The sweetest little bird looked up at me. Was tempted to come in. I spoke gently to it. It gave me one more look. It looked concerned. Then flitted off. I feel it was my mum. She’d come to tell me she’s free. No more pain!! I’ve lived in my flat for 18 yrs. I’ve never seen a bird land on my window ledge before or since! I think it was a Greenfinch. It was a very special moment.
Wow Vicky, that's a very special story, really lovely, I do hope you have gained some consolation from that visit and you're not feeling so low. Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. Take care! Best wishes, John.
Thanks John. Sweet of you to reply. Some might think i’m mad for what i said. But my mum was Irish, Catholic. She would have felt the same. The fact that the bird kept chirping, was looking right into my room. Was on the ledge in the 1st place, was out of the ordinary. It really did cheer me up. It would be lovely to come back as a bird. Must feel fantastic to feel so free & fly. X
Greenfinches are one of the cutest birds. Love it when they visit my garden. Love their distinctive 'squeeeeeze' call!
Thanks for the comment Fiona, I only wish they’d visit my garden, I’ve had Goldfinches and Siskins but not Greenfinches or Chaffinches. I guess it depends on where you live.
@@johnluk Yes I only get greenfinches at certain times of the year. Mainly in Spring and sometimes in the Autumn. Ive had 2 pairs visit lately. One of the males is ringed but I dont stand a chance of getting it's number! Would love to know where he was ringed!I get bullfinches and chaffinches too. It took years for the chaffinches to be coaxed into my garden. I put sunflower hearts out. Eventually this encouraged the chaffinches, now theyre one of my more common visitors,along with the goldfinches. I dont know what has happened to the siskins! I always got them visiting throughout Spring. Ive had none visit this year at all. Last visit from them was March or April last year. Not sure what's happened! Maybe climate change has affected them coming?
Thanks Fiona, it’s hard to say if it’s climate change or some other phenomenon, sometimes it’s inexplicable like the huge surge in Hawfinches in 2018. Sounds like you’re having great success with your feeders.
@@johnluk they were virtually wiped out because of that fungus that grew in the peanuts people were feeding them. There isn’t much sign of a recovery. I only see 1 pair a year here in Dorset. I love them, they remind me of home when I was growing up and the start of my love of bird watching.
@@marsha1963 funnily enough I recorded a part of that video in Dorset. I was heading to Arne and the sat-nav took me to a gate at completely the wrong end of the reserve for the visitor centre but a bonus was that I saw and recorded one of the video clips. There are definitely fewer here in Newport than there were just a few year’s ago and I’m sure that virus was to blame.
Now I know what bird is singing in my garden-thank you for this video. It’s a great start to the day as well 🙏
Thank you Ruth, that’s great to hear. 😊
I love this bird Greenfinches and bullfinches are my favourite finches of all!
Sorry DBR and thank you so much, I would have replied earlier but for some reason CZcams thought your post was spam and hid it in a separate folder called 'likely spam' that I've never noticed, I just saw and 'approved' it. now so I can reply and thank you now I know about this folder I'll check it regulalrly. Best wishes.
What I’ve been listening to all day! Realised what it was when a male sat in the birch tree beside my window and had a little sing-song.
That’s brilliant! Not a common species these days.
Great compilation. I can't wait to listening to their song in early spring. Greetings.
Greetings Jakub and thank you for your kind comment! Have a great week’
oh really? visit greece it's so obnoxious with the huge number of them we have.
When ever I see a greenfinch it makes me sad.. :( A time when I was in a layby and I saw a greenfinch. It had been bitten by a weasel. I picked it up, but it died in my hands...
But I dearly love them now, they are brilliant birds!
That’s a sad story Brian, I’ve never been that close to one. Hope the video didn’t make you too miserable.
@@johnluk no, its ok, just seeing them on the general, not this particular video. I do enjoy studying them, and reading about them, this is a great vid, cheered me up a bit!!
Brian :)
Aw that's so sad Brian. Poor Greenfinch :(
Hey way to go love the bird calls and very informative and thank you for all you do and thank you for posting ur educational videos
Thank you so much, love that you find them informative.
Wonderful John; it are beautiful finches. You made a wonderful compilation, congratulations, greetings Hans.
Greetings Hans and thank you for your kind comments. Great to have the feedback! Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Wow 😍😍😍
So cute lovely bird 💚❤️
Eating yum yum n singing 🤙🤙
Beautiful 🍀🌺💕🌹🌷
Sorry Happy TV and thank you so much, I would have replied earlier but for some reason CZcams thought your post was spam and hid it in a separate folder called 'likely spam', I just saw and 'approved' it. now so I can reply and thank you now I know about this folder I'll check it regulalrly. Best wishes.
Part of my "Lockdown Consolation", having the time to observe these birds.
Daniel W Great to hear you’re making the most of your enforced leisure, I’m afraid the Greenfinch is not one of my garden birds.
just catch them lol
ive seen 2 in 30 years in my front garden
Sadly they have become quite rare, you were lucky to see even one. Funnily enough Goldfinches seem to have become more common!
I'm in New Zealand and it's been bugging me wondering what that sound was for YEARS!
Now I know....female Greenfinch. Thank you so much for this video
Wow Paul, it's great to hear that my video was useful and lovely to know that it's being watched on the far side of the world. Isn't technology great that it can shrink distances and connect people through their interests? Hope you have a great week!
That’s great to hear, Bullfinches are a bit rarer where I am and so I haven’t managed to record enough footage for a compilation yet. Thanks for taking the time to comment, hope you have a great weekend.
They are really really rare where I am!! They are extremely rare! I never ever saw one in my life. I would like to get a photo with the canon if I see one. Thanks for the great vid!! Loved it X
ive just seen three more
That's great to hear! I've only see a couple this year, one in Lodmoor, Weymouth and one in Tidenham, Gloucestershire.
Excuse me, could you identify the bird that sings a trill at 1:35? It's my favourite bird song and I've never been 100% sure of what it is! Is that the greenfinch??
Hi Ingeborg, it’s a Robin. Hope you don’t mind me giving you a tip but there’s a free app called ‘Merlín’ produced by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and it will attempt to ID a bird from an image or sound. If you open the microphone in the app and point your phone towards the sound source, either live or recorded, it will identify birds and add each species to a list. I’ve found it very useful!
Great video John!
Will you be including a video of the Hawfinch soon? I have never seen one in real life.
Hi, "Shot of Wildlife" (?) thanks for your kind comment. I've already done a video of the Hawfinch but instead of just linking that I am just including a link to my "British Birds and their Calls" playlist where you can see it. It's an evolving thing so I'll be adding the Greenfinch in there today. Hope you like it! czcams.com/play/PLspuFV4uc0fIrqGKDnrK6RbkVWAzdw2Sy.html
Whoops, I've just checked that playlist and it looks like I've not added the Hawfinch in there, I'll do it now!!
@@johnluk Okay great. I will take a look a bit later on. Cheers.
What area do you live in. There seem to be a lot of Hawfinches. Not too common in essex!
Hi Tim, I live in South East Wales but the Hawfinch footage was shot in the neighbouring Forest of Dean. There’s a well known place in Parkend where the birds can be reliably seen in January and February. This one focusing on Hawfinch has footage from the FOD and some locally captured when there was an ‘irruption’ three years ago. czcams.com/video/gV51oSm7CJM/video.html
Oh my goodness you have hawfinches too! How special!! X
Thanks for your reply! I wish I could say I see them regularly but I've only seen one in the summer because they spend most of their time in the tree canopy. In the winter they forage for fallen seeds and there's a better chance of seeing them.
Pity we r losing them
It seems so, certainly in my immediate locality, although there are pockets, like the Forest of Dean, where they’re doing well.