The year started well with 120 at Whitefield Farm on New Years Day with further large groups comprising of 100 at Riddlesden in March 65 at Stockbridge in January and 70 on Otley Chevin in March. The last of the spring records were two in a Burley garden site on 23rd April.

The first to return were eleven at Denholme Clough on 12th October with records then coming from many sites to the year-end. High counts included 125 at Marley in November and 150 at Beaverdyke and 100 at Fewston in December.

Not a vintage ‘Brambling year’ by any means, but a steady trickle of records in the first winter period. A flock at Fewston Reservoir peaked at 70 in January, whilst an excellent garden record concerned 49 at Bingley during March. The last of the spring was a female in another Bingley garden on 2nd May.

The first to be back was at least one at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 1st October. This was quickly followed by another bird there,and two at Denholme Clough. From then until the year-end, generally only small flocks were found from many widespread sites. The only exception to this was a party of 50 birds at Anchor Farm, Timble Ings.

Following the generally low numbers seen at the end of 2004, the first winter period started off slowly, with only one record involving more than 20 birds, this being a flock of around 30 in Ovenden Wood on 8th January. Things picked up by early February, however, when about 80 birds were seen near Swinsty Reservoir on 8th, this number having increased to 100 by the 25th. Flocks of 30 birds were seen around the same period at Bolton Abbey, and at Fewston Reservoir on 31st March. Smaller numbers were recorded in Airedale, Strid Wood, the Washburn Valley and at Ogden. The final record of this period was a male in full breeding plumage in a Silsden garden on 17th April.

The first returning bird was seen at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 7th October, but this well-watched migration point produced few other sightings, and the biggest numbers during the month and the year were impressive totals of 250 flying to roost at Timble Ings on 22nd, and 195 (in small migrating flocks) at Paul Clough four days later.

Between then and the year-end, the counts were mainly of single figures at eight widespread locations. The exceptions were Caldene Fields, which had 32 birds passing through on 1st November, and the previously mentioned Silsden garden, where numbers gradually built up to ten by 27th December. Other garden records included a bird in Oxenhope in April, and two in Gilstead in early December, with four records of a single bird later in the month.