The Bandit
(2012)
Subject: Bull finch Dimensions (centimeters): 20 x 16 Medium: oil on linen Description: The Bandit Oil on linen 16cm x 20cm
The Bullfinch is a stunning bird although it is very difficult to spot. It is quiet and secretive often hiding out in branches or thick undergrowth. It eats berries, seeds, insects and buds and favours bushes and shrubs for nesting such as hawthorn or blackthorn (featured in the painting). It is the female that builds the nest; it is made up of twigs and lined with moss and hair. It is a somewhat flimsy construction. Although the male does not participate in the nest building, it is believed that bullfinches mate for life, unlike many other small birds.
Bullfinch: Species of concern Interesting Fact: Bullfinches loves to eat buds and are especially fond of fruit trees. One Bullfinch can eat 30 buds or more in just 1 minute! In the 1950's Bullfinches were so abundant in number that they had to trap them to help prevent the mass destruction of fruit farms. By the 1980's however, the population crashed placing them on the red list of great conservation concern. Although Bullfinch numbers appear to have improved slightly, there is still concern over their disappearance across the wider countryside.
