Also at the feeders, 8 Goldfinches, 2 Tree Sparrows, 35+ House Sparrows, 10+ Chaffinches, the odd Blue, Coal and Great Tit, 5 Collared Doves, 2 Woodpigeons, 6+ Jackdaws, 1 Magpie, a few Starlings, Robin and Dunnock. The whole lot vanished for a good while mid morning when the reason became very obvious. A female Sparrowhawk was sitting on the ground under the peanut feeder!
A short visit to the Spar Shop in Longhoughton showed its continued mothing potential as 3 Angle Shades were on the wall near the car park under the outside light. I haven't caught a moth for ages due to the weather.
A pair of Tawny Owls were calling to each other in the Village Wood this evening.
I see that the weather 'down south' is pretty poor today? Its not been too bad up here. Yet.
And why Bramblefinch? When I was a bairn, in the 70's, I knew an old man, a birdcatcher, down the local allotments who always told me tales about birds, particularly finches. He used to catch odd ones to breed from, female Bullfinches and Greenfinches to cross with male Goldfinches ( yep, thats right) but he always referred to Bramblings as 'Bramblefinches'. I can't see one even today and not think about old Geordie...
Oh, there has been a Red rumped Swallow on Holy Island yesterday. I wouldn't have minded seeing that but no show today...This is the last one I saw, in the very same place...
3 comments:
Stewart, I used to know a birder who called Bramblings 'Bramblefinches' as well. He said that he learnt the name when a boy from an old bird book. Also, thanks for the notebokk art!
Thats interesting Steve, I wasn't sure if it was just a local thing.
The notebook drawing was done in the field but colour added later at home...
I had an original first edition of Oxford book of birds and they referred to the brambling as the Bramblefinch.
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