In defence of goldfinches

[Martin Butterfield <>]

I certainly remember the event Terry mentions.  Interestingly I was at more or less the same site about three months ago and again there was a big flock of Goldfinches.

The species seemed to get the daylights knocked out of it by the drought in the noughties.  From memory COG General records, GBS records and the Greening Australia Survey all showed Goldfinches declining significantly.  However once a bit of rain came in about 2010 they began to recover quite well and are now quite common where there are good supplies of food (eg Hoskinstown Plain).  They've still got a good way to go to match Mark's memories however.

Martin

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

On 18 August 2016 at 16:46, Terry Bird <> wrote:

For most British born Australians and others,

 I am sure , this charmingly pretty introduced finch is a very welcome sight.

No human discrimination from birdwatchers please ; hardly a feral it came with the first fleet to make Australia it's new home and performs a valuable service consuming thistle seed.

Several years ago, in Winter, because there was a severe frost Martin Butterfield lead a WW group along Lake Road to the southern edges of Lake George where several flocks of goldfinches, up to a hundred were observed which was a long remembered sighting.

Sent from my iPad
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