Bramblings come to the table

I had an early walk along the cliff to Hope Point, where I met Richard, and on the way back Richard flushed the Richard's Pipit. It flew over me calling and that was the last I saw of it. There were loads of birds though, including a few Crossbills and some big flocks of finches including Siskins and Bramblings. By 11 a.m. I decided it was breakfast time and made my way home.

If you can remember the time when televisions weren't neat flat things, but quite bulky deep bodied pieces of kit, then you might remember the sort of wall support/bracket that the tele in our kitchen-diner sat on. When it became redundant, instead of the tip, it found its way onto the tree outside my study as a small bird table. It hasn't always attracted lots of birds but I put a mixture of fat and the nibs from sunflower seeds on it the other day and today it paid off.I said I'd seen a male Brambling in the garden yesterday and today there were at least five, and they seemed to favour my improvised bird table.

Some Chaffinches and Greenfinches also got on there and it was interesting to note, that despite being closely related the Bramblings were far more aggressive than the Chaffinches and when it go crowded they were the ones that won any squabbles.

Even at this time of year when the Bramblings beautiful pattern is obscured but the winter feathers they are still a pretty handsome sight.

The relationship with the Greenfinches was different. Greenfinches are much more pugnacious than Chaffinches and they were an even match for the feisty Bramblings.

Five was the maximum number I saw together and with one Chaffinch also looking for a piece of space that was about the most that could share the spoils on this small table. Having found this recipe accidentally it looks as if I'll need to be making more of it if I want to keep attracting these chaps.

Of course they will all feed on the ground but there was no doubt that the Bramblings were always the first up on the table and seemed most comfortable there.