This was an unusual sighting during one of last week’s local meanders.

I’d checked out Cardiff Bay Barrage for any migrating birds (found one lovely female Wheatear dotting about on the grass), and continued from there on the footpath that runs along the top of the Ely embankment, where the River Ely flows in to Cardiff Bay. A couple of our winter-resident Turnstones were tootling about, stone-flipping and poking in the vegetation, but the stars this day were two juvenile Greenfinches.

At this time of year, there is often a small flock of Linnets nibbling on the seeds of the many Herb Robert plants that grow all over the embankment stonework but, on this particular day, the Greenfinches were messily enjoying a feast. Greenfinches are usually a little more wary of being close to people, I find, and the footpath can be very busy with walkers, the river with marine traffic and kayakers but, perhaps because they were young birds, these Greenfinches hadn’t yet learned to keep away from such potential threats. They were a delight to watch.