Goldfinch near Cathedral Cove, New Zealand

Departing from the usual locations described in this blog, I’m not in Sydney today. I’m travelling in New Zealand, and saw a beautiful little Goldfinch on a thistle bush. Neither the finch nor the thistle is native to New Zealand, but they make a very pretty picture. The bird plucks the seeds from the flowerhead, and a shimmering cloud of silver threads drifts around its beak.

A still image of the same bird – click the image to expand it in your browser:

Common name: European Goldfinch

Scientific name: Passeriformes fringillidae

Approximate length: 12 cm

Date spotted: 7 December 2016

Season: Summer

Location: Cathedral Cove car park, Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve, North Island, New Zealand

Latitude/longitude: 36°49’59.0″S 175°48’00.7″E