I took a long walk today. It was an unashamed twitch, I must confess. I absolutely love Hawfinches and the lockdown has meant that I can't travel for my yearly fix at Clumber Park or Rufford Country Park. A Hawfinch has been wintering in a local nearby site. The site is sensitive and I've been asked not to disclose by the local officer that first spotted the bird. This male (or a different) Hawfinch was seen at the same site in 2019, in mid April, not seen last year, and then seen again this year since the 17th February. During lockdown I've only been birding during walks in my local area, so I was a bit hesitant to go. However, I decided that it would be local if I just walked there and back. It wasn't really much further than my usual local walks, just outside the Hull city boundary. Today, the forecast was for sunny, cool weather, ideal for photography under trees. I knew that I needed an element of luck, as local birders have been there and missed it. I got up early, packed a lunch, just in case, and took off aiming to get there around 8:30.
42 Pink-footed Geese flying NW.
It was a very pleasant walk, with highlights a skein of Pink-footed Geese flying over, a singing Green Woodpecker, a pair of Kestrels and two male displaying Sparrowhawks, doing the rollercoaster dive signalling their territorial ownership.
Kestrel.
Reed Bunting singing.
My first Anthophora plumipes female.
Anthophora plumipes male.
So, I got there, I found the favoured spot and started the wait. Children walked to school across the cemetery, then at 9 o'clock it got very quiet. It was pleasant enough. A retinue of birds visited the feeders. Long-tailed tits, Coal Tits, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird. A grey squirrel. There was another birder about who put some seed on the feeder. I thought that the Hawfinch wouldn't pay much attention to this but he said 'birds attract birds', which is quite right. Then AA turned up, which I took as a good omen as he sees all the birds! We were catching up on stuff, hadn't seen each other in ages, when he looked and listened intently. I stopped talking and look to the feeders and the magnificent Hawfinch landed on a pole. I said, it's here! How did you know? He said that the officer had told him that Blue Tits called in alarm when the Hawfinch appeared, maybe due to its large size? The fact is, we were watching the bird and it was feeding on the seeds that the first guy had put on the table. Black sunflower seeds in particular. It had taken 45 min wait. After feeding for a while, the Hawfinch flew to a branch, where he wiped his bill and stayed for a bit before dropping to drink for a second and then disappearing on the trees.
The male Hawfinch in all it's beauty. The metallic, frilly ends of its primaries are visible in this photo. A subtle combination of colours, matching with the wall behind!
I took a long walk today. It was an unashamed twitch, I must confess. I absolutely love Hawfinches and the lockdown has meant that I can't travel for my yearly fix at Clumber Park or Rufford Country Park. A Hawfinch has been wintering in a local nearby site. The site is sensitive and I've been asked not to disclose by the local officer that first spotted the bird. This male (or a different) Hawfinch was seen at the same site in 2019, in mid April, not seen last year, and then seen again this year since the 17th February. During lockdown I've only been birding during walks in my local area, so I was a bit hesitant to go. However, I decided that it would be local if I just walked there and back. It wasn't really much further than my usual local walks, just outside the Hull city boundary. Today, the forecast was for sunny, cool weather, ideal for photography under trees. I knew that I needed an element of luck, as local birders have been there and missed it. I got up early, packed a lunch, just in case, and took off aiming to get there around 8:30. 
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