Autumn is now with us and the daylight hours are getting shorter, the birds have fewer hours in which to feed so we help them over the harsher weather by supplementing their food supply with a feeder containing sunflower seeds. Within two days of putting out the feeder the first bird to appear was my favourite winter visitor the goldfinch, soon followed by greenfinches, chaffinches, dunnocks (hedge sparrows), blue-tits, coal-tits, a feisty robin and a black-bird; no wren so far. During the summer we rarely see these smaller birds, usually only larger birds like magpies, jackdaws, wood-pigeons, ring-doves and starlings; although once or twice a kestrel swooped low over the garden and a few times a red-kite could be seen gliding overhead. Having said that in a gesture we like to think of as a thank you for winter feeding the parent goldfinches and blue-tits brought their broods briefly at one point in the summer much to our delight.
I have been distracted, my intention in posting a picture of the goldfinch was not to talk about feeding the birds or listing the garden visitors but rather to briefly mention the symbolism of this bird in many Christian paintings.
"The goldfinch represents the soul and the Passion of Christ. Goldfinches like to eat thistles and thorns so the bird has become associated with Christ's suffering on the cross. The red spot on its throat is said to represent the drop of blood that fell as the goldfinch drew a thorn from Christ's brow."
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Freedom
A bird in flight, her wings spread wide
Is the soul of man with bonds untied.
Beyond the plough, the spade, the hod,
A bird flies in the face of God,
Yet I with reason bright as day
Forever tread the earthbound day.
by Spike Milligan
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