Brambling

It's been a good week in the garden bird-wise.  On Sunday I heard and then briefly saw a Brambling.  Unfortunately, I didn't get great views as it flew up into the tall Ash tree and was in silhouette against the setting Sun.  Nonetheless, it was the first Brambling of the year and a new bird for the garden.  Then on Tuesday, while sat at my desk, staring out of the window for inspiration I saw a Redwing fly into the beech tree at the bottom of the garden where it stayed for few seconds before flying off.  This caused me to pay at bit more attention to the activity around the feeders where there was the usual assemblage of common birds as well as...another Brambling! This one (if it was a different one) stayed around for a while and I took some respectable record shots of it.

Male Brambling, Mellor, Lancashire, 23 October 2012

Other interesting stuff in the garden this week included Tawny Owl, Sparrowhawk and Woodmouse.