Brambling in Crow Wing County
2015-03-20

'Casual' in Minnesota - Five or fewer records in Crow Wing County for the Spring season

Around 2:15pm this afternoon I looked out the window to see a slew of birds. I grabbed my binoculars and observed around 100 Cedar Waxwings bathing in the rain puddles and preening in the trees. A front was moving through and it was raining. There was many other birds too, lots of migrating robins, juncos, grackles, blackbirds etc. I stood out on the back step and watched the waxwings and others. I was noticing movement in the pines at the back of the yard. There were Siskins, Juncos and House finches with a couple of chickadees. I saw one bird which stood out immediately. Hanging with 2 House Finches was a bird of similar size and most likely a finch in behavior. It was the orange on the front and sides of the bird and wing bars which first came to attention. Having lived in the UK for 25 years I am familiar with Brambling. Within a sec or too my reaction was its a Brambling. I went inside to get my camera and was able to get a couple of pictures, light was bad and it was raining. My flash batteries were dead also. The bird flew with the 2 house finches and noticed the bird in question had a white rump, which is what you would expect to see in a Brambling. I think I can count out Lazuli Bunting based on its relative size to the house finches, the bill appears much more finch like than a bunting. There was no noticeable blue, the Brambling appeared much darker and the orange went all the way up the neck to the lower mandible. The Lazuli would arguably have some blue under the bill? In to photos to can observe the these field marks.

John Richardson