First ever sighting!

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Saw a pair of bramblings on my back yard today, we get loads of chaffinches, greenfinches, bullfinches, but these were a first for me.  Are they common in the Midlands (fairly rural) or have the weather conditions brought them here?

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[saddad]

I've had them before... ( well my ornithologist friend says so)...  :)

[Flighty]

Lucky you, they can be seen throughout most of the UK mostly in rural areas. They come here from Scandinavia in September but numbers each year vary from a few tens of thousands to a couple of million!

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Scandinavia, that figures, I always get loads of redwings and fieldfares.  I was so chuffed to see these, it's so miserable here today, cold wet and dark...

[grannyjanny]

We've had a Brambling in the garden this week. As far as we know it's a first. Think there was a goldcrest in the front this morning. We usually have a visit about now.

[Carol]

I had my first sighting of a Brambling in my garden 6th October.  I mentioned it on here and said at the time that I hope this wasn't a bad omen for a hard winter ahead.  How right I was.   I now have Bramblings feeding with the others every day.  They are very good at hanging off the feeders unlike the chaffinches.  No sign of Siskins though.  Wonder where they have gone this year. 

[Unwashed]

Saw my first one in the garden on Wednesday.  Saw a dartford warbler on Greenham Common too.

[landimad]

I do not think that we have brambling's in our garden, but we do get a lot of long tailed tits and yellow hammers at this time. The green woodpecker and lesser spotted comes to the table when the meal worms are put out though. Greedy devils seem to know when feeding time is.
I have tried to take pictures of all the different birds we get here, but I think the camera is not powerful enough to get the close up.

[Bugloss2009]

I bet we get hundreds of bramblings, only i think they're chaffinches  :D No. it's lovely. i'm jealous

a pair of reed buntings and a goldcrest has been our haul of unusual birds so far.....

[Carol]

The colouring on the Brambling is so much brighter than a chaffinch tho.  I am sure you would be able to tell them apart.

[grannyjanny]

You would definately notice that you had a different bird in your midst. It's then a matter of looking it up.