A Winter Visitor

By Stephan Burch

 Having taken part in the Great British Bird Watch last weekend I suppose I have been taking more notice of my garden visitors. Well, I was rewarded today with a welcome winter visitor hidden among a flock of Chaffinches. I definitely saw a male Brambling, at least one and possibly a female but they are hard to separate from female Chaffinches at this time of year.  I am thrilled, he seemed quite comfortable and stayed on and off all afternoon so I am hoping he will linger.

We are so lucky with our garden, we back on to Astley Park and have woodland behind us.  We have several feeders in the garden and while I am working I can look up and see all kinds of visitors. The Woodpecker is always great to see and now we are getting regular visits from a pair of Bullfinches, not common around us, but Bramblings are synonymous with a British winter for me.

By Emily Sutton

Seeing him made me think of the wonderful Brambling sculpted and embroidered by Emily Sutton in an exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park a couple of years ago.  I adore her sculpted birds but the Brambling stayed with me being more heavily embroidered than many of her sculptures.  I have to make a Brambling now, a lady Brambling in Liberty fabric.  The male has such lovely colours but the females have a pretty orange and grey cast to them, making for a delicate subject.  I am working on a Wren in pink at present but will start searching for Brambling fabric right away!