A Heather Lintie at the Castle o’ Burrian
Twite are such beautiful birds. Their subtlety is exceptional, with the softness of their stripes and the paleness of their beaks. It’s lovely to see small groups of them at the Castle o’ Burrian on Westray.
Here, they are called Heather Lintie. There’s not much heather left on Westray, but some clings on around the coasts where the ground is rough or too dangerous for cattle.
The closer you get, the more beautiful they are.
The Twite, Carduelis flavirostris, is also called the Pennine Finch, but it has almost been completely extirpated from England. It’s good to see them here, still hanging on to the edges of the land.
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