Will they stay or will they go?

Fjallafinka – Brambling – Fringilla montifringilla

In the beginning of November we told you about flocks of Bramblings that had been seen in Iceland and a group that took to our garden. Well, all through winter we have had them here, up to 15 in the autumn, but usually around 6 to 10. The males have begun to change colours, taking on their black caps to impress the females. We are excited to see whether they will breed here this spring.

Bramblings are vagrants in Iceland. They breed in Northern Europe, although not as northerly as Iceland, and are supposed to fly South for winter. A few instances of breeding have been recorded here.