On Seeing A Picture Of Bullfinches Poem by Francis Duggan

Us male humans could learn a lesson from the bullfinch for the bullfinch he is faithful to his wife
And bullfinches are loyal to each other and when they pair they always pair for life
The male bullfinch is such a handsome fellow and though the female not as pretty she is far from plain
And seeing this picture of a pair of bullfinches takes me back to my boyhood days again.

In the small grove by my old home in Millstreet the male bullfinch used to tune his pipe in Spring
The handsome dark and pink and blue and white bird not the finest songster though his low toned voice to it had a familiar ring
I found their nest one day amongst low bushes a cup shaped nest of twigs and horse hair made
And four pale blue eggs in tiny brown spots covered that the female bird only recently had laid.

I marvelled at this wondrous work of Nature for I was young then a nine years old boy
And it is something that I always will remember for a natural thing of beauty is a thing of joy
And when the eggs had hatched out the parent birds were busy
with four fast growing nestlings for them for to care
And their nest to me was my most precious secret a secret with none other I would share.

This picture of Bullfinches stir the memories and takes me to those woodlands far away
And I fancy I can hear the male bird piping around his borders in the month of May
And again I see their nest hidden in the bushes and I see their pale brown spotted eggs again
And good memories of a boyhood close to Nature in the heart of the migrant man remain.