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Andrew McNeil is an East Finchley Ward Councillor who cares about the environment and likes trees, bats and goldfinches, and who is a member of the Labour group Opposition on Barnet Council.
Posted at 4:00pm Tuesday 24th July 2007
The finches of Finchley
In the last two years our quiet street in East Finchley has seen a revolution – bloodless I think, but I can’t be sure. Where we had greenfinches chinking away from the chimney pots and TV aerials, we now have goldfinches clinking ! I love all birds – even pigeons and magpies – but this sudden change of population was quite unexpected. I would have thought that the pretty goldfinches, with their red white and black face masks and slighter frames – were more likely to be bullied off the birdtables, rooftops and prime garden feeding patches by the heftier greenfinches. Goldfinches generally travel in bigger bands than greenfinches, so maybe numbers are part of the answer. What has happened ? I really can’t think of any obvious answer – perhaps you can.
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