I couldn’t resist this as I know it is Mark’s least favourite British bird, but this shows the lovely crimson breast and crown, and the gleaming white wing flash. They were nest building in the gorse when I took this photograph. I say “they”, but she was doing all the works while he sat around looking decorative and singing. It was taken in West Yorkshire.
Taken with a Nikon D500 and a 300mm f4 lens with a 1.4x converter. 1/2000 second f5.6 ISO 1000 (17 April 2017).
Mark writes: a very clear photo of why we should all dislike the Linnet. This chinless wonder of the bird world has a plumage that looks unfinished and thrown together. A grey head – grey, for heaven’s sake. That’s not a proper colour is it?
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Tres Chic that grey – look in any decorating book & everything is Linnet grey these days. I think your shot is slightly pandering to Mark, Tim – a shaft of sunlight on its breast would have lit up the true splendour of a male Linnet.
And there’s another thing – this for me is very much THE bird of the informal countryside – the scrubby corner, bit of waste ground etc – and that it is becoming harder and harder to see is almost as important an indicator as the similar fate of the more obviously splendid Yellowhammer (perhaps we can have one of them to celebrate the spring, please, Tim ?)
Your ‘another thing’ is THE thing here in the south, Roderick.
Yes, the bird can still be found in your urban edge-lands that have escaped managers; planners and landscape gardeners. Yes, they are good indicators of micro-wilderness: lots of Linnets – loads of life.
But the bird has gone from the surrounding two-home-owning, twee-ified, paddockised countryside. (“We love the view and it’s so quiet: on a clear day you can actually hear the raspberries”)
VOTE for the GREY TRIPLE LOCK — MORE QUARRIES; MORE HOUSES; MORE LINNETS (and wild raspberries)
Goes well with the gorse. And a knowing glint in the eye; ‘I’ve got that Mark Avery sussed’.
i love linnets! That touch of rose! It’s always a treat to see them. They perch on the tops of trees in an overgrown Christmas tree plantation near here, often with yellow hammers. I nearly called my daughter Linnet. You linnet despisers are wrong!
I loath uncooked wood pigeons myself.
not sure I have a least favourite British bird, Pheasant too common, far too gaudy eat my partners veg garden to stalks only and a non-native to boot! Red legs are nearly as bad and probably compete with the declining GREY (for Mark) Partridge.
Then of course according to the grouse lobby Hen Harriers eat far too many grouse, don’t know how they do it there are so few of them oh and the males are GREY birds too. If it were true that according to the SGA WT Eagles carry off children that might have made them unpopular and it used to be called the GREY sea eagle in some quarters.
My favourite bird on the other hand would be a male of any of the three GREY male harrier species or perhaps Ring Ouzel, or Dotterel.
Here in mid Wales where I am at the moment I love the Kites, Ravens and the Goshawks I see powering across the tree tops on some days,oh and the GREY Wagtails. I’m probably not popular with any of them though because——-GREY hair, you too Mark?
I agree SO much about Pheasant and Red Legged Partridge – the latter – what is it with the shooters this year and Red-legs? They have multiplied and are all over the place. Eating my veg…………. even my marsh marigolds! I demand compensation!
Good try Tim, try again at Christmas I understand Mark is a bit more cheerful. 🙂