Bramble Finch

Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla), male

This winter, we've revelled in the presence of a small group of these handsome birds, which have spent the past few months nibbling the seeds of Buddleia bushes in the back garden. They're Bramblings (Fringilla montifringilla), finches that spend the winter here in Great Britain (and widely elsewhere across Europe and Asia). They'll be leaving us soon, heading back to the forests of the northern Palearctic where they breed, from Scandanavia right across to the Pacific Ocean. By the time the males get there, the rusty edges of the feathers on their heads and backs will have worn away, rendering them black-headed and black-backed. The number seen here in the UK varies wildly from year to year, depending on food supplies and weather on the continent. Some years, there can be as few as 45,000 here. Some years, there can be nearly 2 million! This was apparently a good year across the country, with birders reporting them in gardens everywhere. While they're with us, Bramblings are almost exclusively seed-eaters—reportedly particularly fond of beech mast. In the summer, on the other hand, they'll feed primarily on insects. We're sad to see them go, as they've been a bright spot in this dreary winter, but we also know that their departure is a sign of impending spring. Yahoo!

Female