AS I pen these notes, the countryside is awakening after its annual winter slumbers.

Despite the fact we are still in the season of winter, possibly with some unpredictable weather ahead, more new shoots are appearing almost by the day, some flowers are blooming and the birds are beginning to sing.

Traditionally, they select their mates on St Valentine's Day, which was yesterday, and for some weeks now, blue tits have been studiously examining one of our nest boxes.

By the time these words appear in print, the pace of new growth will be accelerating and it should be evident even to the most unobservant.

Trees and bushes will be displaying new buds, while some, like the hazel, display fluffy yellow catkins; wild plants like nettles and coltsfoot will be pushing through the earth as snowdrops and celandines grace our woodlands and hedgerows.

The grass will be looking much greener too, whilst our gardens will also be reflecting this renewal of life.

In the midst of all this activity, however, there lurks a handsome villain.

This is the bullfinch, a small plump bird which is slightly larger than a house-sparrow but readily identifiable due to its white rump.

The male is strikingly beautiful. He sports a smart red waistcoat, a grey back and black tips to his wings and tail; he also wears a natty black cap, but when he flies, it is his white rump which identifies him, along with distinctive white flashes on his wings.

His mate also displays a white rump, but although her colours are similar to the male's, she is not quite so brilliant; her underparts, for example, are rather dull pink instead of bright red.

Before maturity, all the youngsters bear the distinctive white rump, but their colours tend to be more brownish.

So why is this handsome bird so unwelcome, especially in our gardens?

The answer is because he has a great fondness for new buds, particularly those which are beginning to appear on our fruit trees, berry bushes and flowering shrubs.

In some fruit growing areas, the destructive activities of bullfinches have become such a problem that these birds are officially listed as pests, which means they may be destroyed.

I must admit that bullfinches are not regular visitors to our garden, although, in the past, when we grew gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants, they were more numerous.

Even so, they rarely appeared in flocks, but normally appeared singly or as a pair.

However, a couple of days before penning these lines, I spotted a male bullfinch on one of our bird feeders.

He was not attacking any of our trees or bushes, probably because the buds were not sufficiently developed to satisfy his hunger, but he did make a quick meal of some peanuts.

He was alone and I have not noticed a return visit.

I must admit I do not regard a single bullfinch as a threat to our garden, but do accept large numbers can cause immense damage to fruit trees bearing young buds.

One odd fact about this bird is that, in spite of his brilliant plumage, the male can easily hide in thick vegetation, his presence often being revealed only when he produces a piping note.

The bullfinch is just one member of the finch family, a colourful group of birds which prompted our Victorian ancestors to capture some of them and keep them in cages.

High on their list was the goldfinch, with its black and yellow wings, white rump and brilliant red face.

Goldfinches often form flocks for bathing and feeding and, not surprisingly, they are then known collectively as a charm.

Their rather delicate and pretty song also endeared them to cage-bird enthusiasts.

The chaffinch, a regular visitor to gardens, is one of our best-known finches and some 40 or 50 years ago, was our most common British bird.

In recent years, it has become scarcer, probably due to chemicals used in agriculture and horticulture, for it relies heavily on weed seeds for food.

Both the male and female have distinctive white markings on their shoulders and dark wings; the male is mainly pink with a grey head whilst his mate is rather more brown.

The greenfinch is another visitor to our gardens, this being easily recognised due to its green plumage and yellow stripe along its wings.

The female is rather more dull than her mate, but both can be very aggressive when feeding, not only chasing other birds from the food supply, but also chasing off other greenfinches.

This bird's colouring is similar to a smaller finch known as a siskin. The siskin, however, is smaller and has dark wings with yellowish-green markings which are very prominent; the male also sports a neat little black cap.

With the spread of pine forests, siskins have become more numerous but they are also regular visitors to many gardens.

Other finches include the hawfinch, brambling, linnet, redpoll and the sturdy crossbill with its twisted beak - all of whom add colour to our countryside.

Updated: 16:15 Wednesday, February 15, 2006