IN mid-February a small flock of green and yellow birds came to feed at my net feeders of nuts and sunflower seeds. They are about the size of a blue tit, but slightly longer and leaner. They have green streaky backs, yellow face and breast, prominent yellow and black plus a little white wavy bar across the wings, streaky grey below wings and speckled grey underneath. The male has a dark head, a little dark patch under the beak, a yellow bar over the eye, and the tail underneath is yellow. The female has more grey underneath, is duller than the male and has not got the black head. They have braved the wrath of the greenfinches.
Vera Walsh, Waterford.
They are seskins, a small finch which usually lives in conifer plantations but in winter comes to nut and seed feeders in urban gardens. There have been other recent reports of their visits to gardens.
I was very interested to read (Eye, February 17th) about the aggressive female blackcaps. I have had the same experience with a female here. She has driven all the birds from my bird table. When she has fed, she sits on a bench above the table and dashes at any birds that comes.
Major R.F. Ruttledge, Greystoaes, Co Wicklow.
