Garden Birds

I had a nice surprise yesterday in the form of a new garden tick ! I was making a cup of tea when I noticed a smart male Brambling on the feeders.

Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)

This brings my garden list to 48 species, not bad for a small rural patch. Other notable visitors have included a Common Pheasant, I don't know who was more surprised when came home to find him in the garden. He took off like a Harrier Jump Jet and flew over the house !
I also chanced upon a Tawney Owl one night sitting on the bird table, he also promptly flew off leaving the table vibrating like a tuning fork !
Birds like Great Spotted Woodpecker and Treecreeper have also graced 'my patch' on occasion and one winter we also had a male Reed Bunting that found our garden to his liking and spent a few days visiting.
Regular visitors include Coal Tit, Bullfinch, Dunnock, Greenfinch and Long Tailed Tit. Whilst Ravens are a common 'fly-over' species, on one occasion numbering six individuals.
Brambling however was a long hoped for addition to my list and many times I've watched from the Kitchen window checking out all the Chaffinches in the hope that the flock would include their Scandinavian cousin.