THE BRAMBLING 



FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA 



LOCAL names in surrounding counties : " Bramble-Finch " 

 (Essex). 



STATUS IN BRITISH AVIFAUNA : A somewhat local and 

 capricious winter visitor, yet a common and widely 

 distributed one. 



RADIAL DISTRIBUTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 

 PAUL'S : The Brambling is by no means an uncommon 

 visitor to the Metropolitan area up to (and possibly nearer 

 to the central districts) the four-mile radius. I have 

 records of it from Battersea Park, Kensington Gardens, 

 Regent's Park, Clapham, Dulwich, and Peckham. North 

 of London it is an irregular visitor to Hampstead, and 

 has been observed at Highgate. In the more outlying 

 districts its appearance, of course, becomes less note- 

 worthy. I have met with this species in the Willesden, 

 Wembley, and Twyford districts, about Ealing, Han- 

 well, and Osterley. It is also of tolerable frequency, 

 but not every winter, in the Hounslow, Bushey, Rich- 

 mond, Wimbledon, and Streatham areas. To these 

 localities Ij have evidence of its occurrence to add from 

 Merton, Mitcham, Croydon, Sydenham, Bromley, the 

 Grays, Wanstead, and Epping. It is just as capricious 

 and irregular in its appearance round London as elsewhere, 

 and in some winters scarcely an example will be reported 

 from districts where in other years it had been numerous. 

 Although outside our limits, I may add that Burnham 

 Beeches is a favourite resort of this Finch. In some 

 parts of Kent also, within easy reach of London Groom- 

 bridge, for instance it frequently occurs in large numbers. 



During its sojourn in our country the Brambling lives 

 chiefly in flocks of varying size, which take up their 

 quarters in suitable spots, and usually remain in their 



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