Goldfinches Galore

What's the highest number of goldfinches you've seen at any one time? Two homes ago a pair nested nearby and brought their young into our garden to feed. I think the total was 5 including the parents.

I grew some teazels especially for them, having read that they were attracted to the seedheads. Whilst we had none in our last garden, a number flocked to the teazels in the field immediately behind us and we saw probably 5 or 6 at any one time, often 3 to a teazel.

Within a couple of days of moving to our new home I noticed a couple of goldfinches on the telegraph wires crossing our garden and our neighbour's. As the weeks have progressed the numbers have increased. They are a delight to watch as they fly jerkily from tree to tree, or wire to wire. They've hopped along the well-manicured boundary hedge, and up and down the drive, but today I realised that our telegraph wires must be where all Somerton's goldfinches flock to. I counted TWENTY-TWO - and one pigeon (who has his own spot right by the post, and woe betide any other bird who tries to pinch pole position). I've taken a photo but you will just have to take my word for it that the blobs are goldfinches and that there were actually 22 just before I raised my camera! Don't try to find the pigeon. He reappeared just after I took the piccie.