The Goldfinch or European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) is a small passerine bird in the finch family. I snapped this specimen with a Lumix pocket camera, model DMC-TZ6 (12x optical zoom) f 5.6, 1/640s, ISO 125, focal length 49mm. The bird was perched at a distance of about 20 metres from my vantage point on the flood bank of the Cottenham lode.
The goldfinch breeds across Europe, North Africa, and western and central Asia, in open, partially wooded lowlands. It is resident in the milder west of its range, but migrates from colder regions. It will also make local movements, even in the west, to escape bad weather. It has been introduced to many areas of the world (Snow and Perrins 1998). More to the point, they’re just such a lovely site to see on a country walk. This specimen was one of a pair and sat calling to its mate in a nearby hawthorn tree (presumably nesting).