More Rambling About Garden Brambling

With much time being taken up by Bird Aid in the last few days time to actually enjoy seeing any birds has been at a premium. I did break from hostilities briefly on Thursday morning to go and look for the reported Bewick's Swan northwest of QE2 Country Park but could only find 52 Whooper Swan that have appeared presumably from Widdrington? A small flock of Pink-footed Goose fed on the south side of the road, again I spent a while working through them looking for any stray Bean's but to no avail. What was noteworthy as I walked to and from a decent view was nothing at all, and by that I mean no common woodland or hedgerow birds such as Dunnock or Wren, not a single 'tseck' to be heard anywhere.
With more going on in the garden I tried out the kids playhouse as a garden hide. After scattering some mixed seed nearby I climbed inside onto the top platform and lay down with the top half of the 'stable door' open. It got me closer to the Brambling which today numbered six and the Bullfinch (still five) but the Yellowhammer wouldn't play ball, although at dusk we had a new garden high of 10!

Brambling, male.

Today a Reed Bunting joined them and our first Sparrowhawk of the year sped through the front garden as I chewed the cud with Tim Sexton and Graeme Stevens who along with Cain Scrimgour provided the muscle and transport for today's grain collection for the Bird Aid project.

Bullfinch, female.

Bullfinch, male.