Greenfinch

I saw a Greenfinch today. Nothing extraordinary in that you might think; for, this usually common finch has become a regular visitor to garden feeding stations. However, this was the first of its kind I have seen for some months. The reason for this is that the local population appear to have been decimated by the disease Trichomonosis. This fatal ailment is spread by a parasite that lives in the throat and crop of the bird and is spread through bird to bird contact and also through sick birds regurgitating food that then becomes available to others.
The spring and summer in these parts are usually the time when the nasal call of the male greenfinch becomes a general background sound, with dozens of pairs nesting in the locality. The male also engages in a courtship and territorial display flight which makes his presence very apparent. Alas, not one bird has been displaying in this way over the last summer months. It is only to be hoped that this attractive and accommodating finch will prove to be ultimately resilient to the disease and will rapidly re-colonise its old haunts.