Goldfinches, alders and dandelions

 

It's hard to over-estimate how important alder seeds are as food for small finches in winter. Siskins love them, but so do goldfinches, like these that I watched on a walk near my home yesterday. 

Goldfinches are also fond of dandelion seeds and, although the main season for these had long passed, there are always late-flowering dandelions around. This goldfinch was feeding on dandelion and lawn daisy seeds on a grassy verge at the beginning of December.