Bramblings & Redpolls

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JohnRGill
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am

Bramblings & Redpolls

Post by JohnRGill »

Bramblings & Redpolls:

One good thing for me from the harsh weather last December was the arrival of Bramblings in my garden. This is a bird I have always wanted to see but never had, until on 17 December there was a splendid specimen feeding on my bird seed feeder. A day later there were two of them, the second one preferring to take niger seeds from the niger feeder. I think that the first bird was male and the second female.

Over the next few weeks nearly every day one or two Bramblings were stocking up from one or other of my feeders until 2 March when I noted the last sighting - or so I thought.

Then on 26th March I was delighted with a visit by a couple of Redpolls to the niger feeder. This is most unusual although I have had one or two in the garden very occasionally in previous years. As I was watching the Redpolls I was surprised when one of the Bramblings returned for another feed. One poor Redpoll found itself fluttering round in great frustration because one port was occupied by a Brambling and the other by the second Redpoll!

I find my niger seed feeder attracts various birds besides the expected Goldfinches. Greenfinches use it regularly and I have seen a Chaffinch on it very occasionally. It is even attracting the attention of a Blue Tit from time to time.

PaulMartinHill
Posts: 158
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am

Re: Bramblings & Redpolls

Post by PaulMartinHill »

It is possible, and perhaps quite likely, that these are different Brambling to those seen earlier. Many wintering finches are making there way back north to their breeding grounds, and refuelling en-route. A friend of mine has been ringing Siskin in his garden, thinking that he had perhaps 20 or 30 coming to his feeders (lucky man!). However, he would ring a dozen or so Siskin in the morning, look out at his feeders in the afternoon, see a flock of Siskin and then realised that none of them were bearing rings. In a two or three week period he has rung over 200 Siskin, and probably seen the same number without rings on them!!

Paul
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