In the poem "The Laburnum Top," the goldfinch builds its nest on the top of a laburnum tree. Her chicks remain in the nest while she (the mother goldfinch) continues to leave at regular intervals to obtain food for her babies. When the children are grown, they return to the same spot to build their own nests. This particular laburnum tree was growing in a garden in Surrey with other trees including horse-chestnuts, beeches, and sycamores. It must have been very popular with birds because it had been used for nesting for several generations. The tree was still healthy and grew up around it so that now it is difficult to see that it was once the scene of activity from many different birds. Goldfinches are a small bird found in Europe and Asia. They are about the size of a sparrow but with a longer tail and more rounded wings. Both male and female goldfinches look fairly similar except that the male has a brighter coloration and more attractive markings on his face. Young goldfinches are gray like their parents, but soon develop their own distinctive color which remains almost unchanged throughout their lives. They eat seeds, fruits, and some vegetables such as brassicas. Like other finches, they strip the bark off trees looking for any insects that may be living inside. This allows them to spread out across a wide area when searching for food.