Goldfinch Flight - August 2020

It was a beautiful warm sunny day for my photo shoot in dad's garden this week, and the birdlife seemed to be enjoying the summer weather.

There were quite a few Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) flying around, and I was lucky enough to catch this one as it flitted from treetop to treetop.

Goldfinch Feeding - August 2020

Meanwhile there were still a few juveniles that needed feeding, and the parents were doing a sterling job of collecting tasty morsels for their young offspring.

Goldfinch Framed - August 2020

I rather liked how this tuneful adult was framed within the branches of the tree.

Gliding Gull - August 2020

Whilst there was a flurry of Goldfinch activity, the Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) circled overhead, looking down on proceedings and in search of lunch.

Starling Group - August 2020

Meanwhile, the incessant chatter of the Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) was an ever present soundtrack to the morning.

Greenbottle - August 2020

Switching over to my macro lens I went off in search of some insects, and came across this Greenbottle (Lucilia caesar) basking in the sunshine.

Leaf Cutter Collector - August 2020

There were still plenty of Leaf Cutter Bees (Megachile) collecting pollen from the Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) blooms.

Tattered Gatekeeper - August 2020

I also came across a number of these Gatekeeper Butterflies (Pyronia tithonus), most of which, like this one, were looking a bit worse for wear.

Far Away Red Admiral - August 2020

I must have chased this Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) for about ten minutes, but this was as close as I got, which was very frustrating.

Behind the Hypericum - August 2020

The Hypericum bush blooms were looking rather lovely in the sunshine from whichever side you viewed them from.

Autumn in Summertime - August 2020

There were a few signs that summer would be coming to an end, with the leaves of this Acer palmatum tree beginning to turn brown already.

Turning Bract - August 2020

Some of the bracts of the Lacecap Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) bushes were also beginning their slow journey into decay.

Viburnum Bush Berries - August 2020

The Viburnum bush berries had also ripened...

Bramble Berry - August 2020

...along with the Bramble (Rubus fruticosus) bush berries.

Plenty of Pears - August 2020

Finally, the branches of the Pear (Pyrus) tree were groaning with the weight of pears, so autumn wasn't too far away.

So this week I went with Goldfinch Flight as my Image of the Week simply because I loved how good the colourful little bird looked against the lovely blue sky...