View From The Shed by Volunteer Shaun - MEET THE FLOCKERS

MEET THE FLOCKERS

“Birds of a feather flock together.”  

We all know that saying, don’t we? It means, ‘all creatures like to congregate with those of their own kind’. Lots of birds and animals naturally gather together for breeding and companionship. That goes for people too. I’ll actively gravitate towards other bird watchers, guitarists or writers while studiously avoiding folks whose passions and pastimes go against my own beliefs and preferences. That’s human nature. We all do it, and the beasts of the field and the air are no different.

In the bird world there are several reasons why this congregation might be advantageous - safety in numbers, a collective sense of direction, body heat for warmth etc - but in the case of those in the Finch family it is mostly about food. The trees and bushes that produce the seeds that Finches eat in Winter are usually found in large clumps. These clumps will usually provide ample food for the flock but can be large distances apart from one another. Hence, a big group of birds all individually keeping an eye out for these food sources increases the chances of the flock as a whole feeding well. Add the reduced number of daylight hours available in winter to find food to survive the colder nights and it makes perfect sense for these little birds to join together in groups. It’s avian teamwork in action and, in a particular part of South Yorkshire’s beautiful Dearne Valley, it’s proving very successful. 

At RSPB Wombwell Ings there is currently a large group of Finches and other small birds that were traditionally found on British farmland. This is what’s known as a ‘mixed flock’ which means that it’s made up of more than one species of bird. In this particular instance, it’s a very interesting mix. Sure, there are some fairly common species in there such as Chaffinch and Greenfinch alongside others that you’d expect to find on farmland such as Linnet, Yellowhammer and Reed Buntings. But the stars of this flock are around a dozen or so seasonal visitors that have become increasingly rare in this area. These are the Chaffinch’s migratory cousins, the Brambling.

We don’t get many of them here any more so you’d be forgiven for not being able to identify one. But you know what a Chaffinch looks like? Well imagine one of those with more distinct orange and black markings. Basically you’re looking for a Chaffinch with a more Autumnal coloured paint job. That’s your Brambling.

According to the Woodland Trust, “Like many bird species during the winter, Bramblings may join up to form large roosts in the evening. In central Europe these can be made up of many millions of birds”. Read that again - millions of Bramblings in one place. Can you imagine seeing “millions of birds” at once of any kind? And especially of the same species? I bet that would make an excellent if somewhat difficult jigsaw puzzle.

You know how much I like old names for birds. Well I’ve discovered that some people have in the past called it (the bird we now know as a Brambling) the French Pie Finch, Mountain Finch and (my favourite) the Tartan Back. I love a descriptive name. The current ‘Brambling’ name is not, as you might imagine, related to brambles, the family of wild roses from which we get raspberries or blackberries. It is most likely a corruption of the word ‘brandling’, meaning a creature with brandled or brindled (streaky brown) markings, though ‘Brambling’ has been in use since at least 1678. I think it’s been around long enough to stick now.

Whatever you choose to call them (and I might try to revive Tartan Back) these Finches spend most of their Summers in Fennoscandia (that’s bits of Russia and most of Scandinavia to you and me) but disperse to avoid the coldest of the harsh weather that they get up there. They spread out in all directions to find a little bit of Winter warmth. We’re on the Western fringe of their habitat. Some will migrate as far south as Morocco, others will go east into Asia.

And of all the places that they could have chosen to spend the colder months, they chose our lovely valley. How lucky are we? But if you want to see them I’d get a wriggle on. They don’t like the weather to be too warm. For the first time this year, I’ve recently felt the first hint of Spring warmth in the sun as I stand outside Old Moor’s Welcome Shed, so I suspect that they’ll be on their way soon, leaving behind the other farmland birds with whom they’ve shared the darker months.

Going back to the proverb that I started with, did you know that the phrase we say now is only half of the original story? The full line was initially, “Birds of a feather flock together… until the cat comes”. 

This changes the meaning considerably. Now, instead of simply reading, ‘people tend to stick close to people like themselves’, it can be interpreted as, ‘those that you hold the closest may be friendly…  until times turn difficult. Then it’s every man for himself’. 

In this particular case you could comprehend its meaning as, ‘the Chaffinches, Linnets, Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings might have enjoyed their company over the Winter, but those Bramblings will have to make the long flight back to chilly Scandinavia on their own!’