Like many terrestrial birds that come here for the winter, numbers of brambling vary each year according to the availability of their food. They breed in sub-arctic areas and breeding success has been linked to the abundance of Geometrid moths (the ones that eat tree leaves) in Norway and Sweden. Following good moth years, we can expect more of them to arrive here for the winter, when their diet changes to seeds, mainly beech mast. They like beech mast so much they even dig through several inches of snow to uncover it.
Our brambling by Dan McKie.
While they are known to travel in large groups, we have one. Which is good for us as we are not really a woodland reserve, so we are proud of our single brambling which is hanging around the Wildlife Watchpoint feeding station.
While the white rump clearly identifies a brambling in flight, it is that shoulder patch which makes them so obvious on the ground. But what colour is it ?
One of our books states “rusty yellow”, while others claim “peachy orange”.
I’m going with tomato soup.
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