BRAMBLING 197 



Winter. — Wherever bramblings winter, their numbers will be found 

 to vary from year to year, the fluctuations being as remarkable 

 as those observed on the birds' breeding grounds. Even in the 

 most favored resorts, the season may pass without more than a few 

 scattered parties putting in an appearance. On the other hand, some 

 of the great incursions witnessed in Central Europe have become 

 historic. A jQock 100,000 strong wintered one year in the Thuring- 

 wold, according to Bechstein; and more than 1,600 dozens were 

 killed in a succession of raids on roosting birds in Lorrame in 1765. 

 A vast horde which settled in Luxemburg in February 1865 was 

 computed to have included 60,000,000 individuals. This almost 

 incredible estimate is exceeded by that reached by observers of the 

 immigration into central Europe of 1950-51, when the number of 

 bramblings congregating at two roosts alone was thought to be 

 72,000,000! 



In winter, as in summer, Bramblings prefer woodland resorts, 

 beech woods, as mentioned earlier, being especially favored. In 

 Britain newly arrived birds often rest for a day or two about coastwise 

 farms, and even in midwinter the species is often well represented 

 in the big flocks of finches that haunt the open country. When going 

 to roost, bramblings usually look for the security of a high perch, such 

 as the upper branches of a high conifer, but sleeping birds may be 

 flushed from low hedges, or even from among the rough grasses on a 

 moorland. A prolonged cold spell may drive wintering bramblings 

 farther south, such weather movements being reported in January 

 and February. 



Enemies. — Within its breeding range, the brambling's most danger- 

 ous enemies seem to be the merlin (Falco columharius) and sparrow- 

 hawk (Accipiter nisus). In his outstanding work on the Norwegian 

 birds of prey, Yngvar Hagen (1952) tabulates the local records of 

 prey taken by the two raptors. Among the 678 birds noted as 

 killed by merlins, and which could be referred to 47 species, 20 

 bramblings were identified. The 506 recorded victims of the 

 sparrowhawk included the somewhat higher proportion of 25 

 bramblings. While it is probable that others among the Scandinavian 

 raptors occasionally kill bramblings, Hagan could find evidence of 

 only the goshawk {Accipiter gentilis) so doing, and that but once. 

 On migration bramblings continue to be in danger from merlins. 

 One of the writers remembers a sunny October day by the North Sea, 

 when the fall migration was in full swing and the hedges alive with 

 finches. Suddenly a male brambling, hard pressed by a merlin, topped 

 the hawthorns and the falcon almost brushed the watcher's cheek 

 as it sped by. Sparrowhawks also levy toU on wintering bramblings, 

 and the buzzard {B. huteo) has been recorded as taking one. This 



