Thistle Finch In An Ash Tree

Goldfinches usually look quite dapper but this one is a bit dishevelled and has its plumage puffed up to beat the cold. I heard the charm in the ash tree this lovely morning before I saw them, they have a very conversational song punctuated by snorts. They kept to a healthy part of the ash with plenty of leaves turning a beautiful yellowy-lime green. Unfortunately this tree, whose leaves have made the drive into a vibrantly coloured river, is affected by Chalara dieback, as are all the other ashes on our property.

I've been reading about ash wood. It has a springy quality which makes it ideal for musical instruments like guitars and Morgan still use it for the frames of their sports cars. The ash is known as the widowmaker in some parts of the country because it sheds boughs without warning.

We have lost our elms, our horse chestnuts are under threat from leaf miner and our ash trees are being decimated by die-back. The face of the countryside is changing. :(