It’s well over 20 years since we had so many in our old garden that if we checked which birds were on the feeders the response was often ”only Bramblings”! Despite keeping a close eye on the feeders all winter with no luck, I did think I’d seen a female a couple of weeks ago, but it was a very quick glimpse so I couldn’t be sure. This morning, however, we had a lovely view of our first Brambling for several years in our present garden.

Sadly, the hen blackbird is sticking to her tree top nest, right in the line of sight for the magpies, which are nesting in a tall fir just one garden away. I assume that magpies will go for the eggs when they are laid (although they are probably better protected when they are being incubated) rather than waiting for chicks to hatch and provide a better meal? I don’t think they can be that calculating!