A Happy Coincidence

 Three species of small birds took a particular liking last winter to a small area outside the town of Windermere. In view of their different feeding habits that was a most happy coincidence. The key is the variety of habitats in that 2 miles x 1 mile strip of land which runs parallel to the town's eastern edge. It consists of good pasture and rough pasture with hedges and walls; small deciduous, coniferous and mixed woods; three fells 600-800 feet high; and a couple of tarns.

Crossbills turned up in early October to feed on Sitka and Norway spruce seeds. They would sometimes hurtle around in a flock of 30 or 40 (maximum 47). On other occasions it was a case of one here, four there and seven somewhere else, for example. They fed exclusively on spruce seeds until November 9th when larch seeds were seen being eaten for the first time. They were on both for a fortnight, since when there has only been one occasion when anything other than larch seed was involved. Ten beavered away in a Scots pine on April 29th before resuming normal service in nearby larches with about 35 other Crossbills. The amount of twisting and jerking involved in extracting seeds suggests that there is little, if any, benefit in having a crossed bill.

Most of the males have been brick-red above although there are variations, the fanciest plumage being the brighter red upperparts offset with a green vent of one individual. Although the birds have stayed into May none of those seen closely have been youngsters. Five pairs had obviously set up a colony in a Norway spruce in April but it came to naught. The only singer was, unusually, a green individual twittering away on its own atop a Sitka spruce on October 27th.

By early December Bramblings were being seen in hundreds. The preposterous sightings began on December 12th when a beech wood was swarming with them. Like all good Bramblings they eventually flew across a road in nice little dribs and drabs, allowing a reasonable count to be made. There were about 1,880! The following day none were present but the day after that an uncountable mass of them flew across an adjacent field. Many Bramblings were present in the vicinity until April although a ridiculously huge flock was only seen once more when at least 3,000 were at the above site.

The creation of a community woodland on some rough pasture last summer involved the exclusion of livestock and deer. Reed Buntings fed on grass seeds there from January onwards, usually 5 or 6, sometimes with Yellowhammers, except on one

occasion when about 35 drifted across the plantation in stops and starts, ending up arrayed along the surrounding hedges.

 Alan Wills