Amid all the doom and gloom of declining bird species there are one or two that have reversed the trend and whose populations are increasing.

Notable among them is the goldfinch (pictured), a very attractive and charming almost exotic looking bird and arguably the prettiest of the finch family with a canary-like song.

Its Anglo-Saxon name was 'thistle-tweaker' alluding to its habit of prising out tiny seeds from thistles and especially teasels.

Many of our birds have ancient and local names, most of which are are very descriptive although some are amusing but puzzling.

For example, the swift rejoices in its nickname of 'screecher' while the pied wagtail was called 'Peggy-dishwash' or 'nanny-washtail'. The great tit groans under several titles including 'pickcheese', 'bee-biter' 'sit-ye-down' and 'Tom Collier'.

The spotted flycatcher was 'cherry-chopper' and the cuckoo 'gowk'.

Another bird to have increased dramatically within the past two decades is the rose-ringed parakeet and in fact, its population is now completely out of control.

A walk in the woodland of Bushy and Richmond parks is now blighted by the constant loud yelping of parakeets which smothers other birdsong that we used to enjoy.

I have a string of choice nicknames for the parakeet but unfortunately all of them are unprintable!