On Saturday I was lucky enough to be invited over to Roger Treeby's garden on the edge of the Mid-Devon town of Tiverton. I had discovered that he has a regular flock of Brambling visiting his feeders. This seemed like a great way for me to finally catch up with, and photograph this species. After a liitle bit of detective work I finally made contact with Roger and by 9.15 I was sat close to his feeders in my pop-up hide ready for the action. I waited 40 minutes before the first one put in an appearance. I had always wondered if I would recognise a Brambling when I saw it and I need not have worried, they are stunningly different to Chaffinch.

 

I could hear Chaffinch pinging their calls and I was expecting the Bramblings to be amongst them, then I heard a call that I hadn't heard before, it reminded me of a Siskin or Goldfinch or perhaps even a Greenfinch but not exactly the same as either  and I knew that Bramblings were around.

My first was on the ground in front of the hide but obscured by a Cock Blackbird. Then after a short while another appearerd on Roger's feeder but around the back hardly giving me a view at all. Then otheres of the flock started to arrive and in the end there were 7 in total. I only noticed 1 female but Roger told me after that there were 3 hens and 4 cocks, at least that is what I can remember.