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UK Hawfinch occurence last weekend....? (2 Viewers)

More "Eur-exiteers"? after a month of "nowt" this morning at 8.45 out of the grey gloom, 5 birds (at first thought Redwings, being fore-shortened and viewed from behind, dropped in to the "same" favoured Hornbeam, one at the top, and four below then one exited, and the rest just vanished...par for the course for this "Tree Top Puffin". I think Theresa May should use the Hawfinch as a bargaining chip....do the deal or we'll keep your Hawfinches!...A-a-a-a-h..if only we could. :-C
 
I think Theresa May should use the Hawfinch as a bargaining chip....do the deal or we'll keep your Hawfinches!...A-a-a-a-h..if only we could. :-C

Would be a waste of time - we have got billions of them, don't need them back, thanks. You can keep our left overs.

Besides, isn't Britain's position it doesn't want EU migrants, not that it is threatening to keep them :)
 
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Would be a waste of time - we have got billions of them, don't need them back, thanks. You can keep out left overs.

Besides, isn't Britain's position it doesn't want EU migrants, not that it is threatening to keep them :)

..........you might have to become an exile Joss :)
 
Just a thought!....with large numbers of Redpolls in continental Europe, and with a Dutch bird found to have a Chinese ring!!!...might their be a correlation with other finch species at present, emanating possibly from the far eastern part of their respective ranges, as a colleague reported perhaps more Hawfinches than usual in and around Budapest this Winter?
 
Just a thought!....with large numbers of Redpolls in continental Europe, and with a Dutch bird found to have a Chinese ring!!!...might their be a correlation with other finch species at present, emanating possibly from the far eastern part of their respective ranges, as a colleague reported perhaps more Hawfinches than usual in and around Budapest this Winter?

Danish bird.

I guess it is possible, though going off one ringed bird is a big jump. I do remember being on Fair Isle when a first for the Western Palearctic turned up, and another the day after I left, and the place was full of 'kazooing' Bullfinches; if it hadn't been for the strange call their origin might not have been thought to be as easterly as it was.
 
Just a thought!....with large numbers of Redpolls in continental Europe, and with a Dutch bird found to have a Chinese ring!!!...might their be a correlation with other finch species at present, emanating possibly from the far eastern part of their respective ranges, as a colleague reported perhaps more Hawfinches than usual in and around Budapest this Winter?

Hi Ken, just to put things right. In the redpoll thread I mentioned a Redpoll retrapped in the Netherlands with Chinese ring but it was already in 2005. A few days back in Denmark another Chinese-ringed Redpoll was caught...

I also wonder why this autumn obviously several finch species are far more common in Europe than in other years. Can't be a coincidence, can it? I'd love to understand what drives them! Failure of many plants to produce seeds due to frost late in spring? Some meteorological factors?
 
Just a question regarding the Oct.'17,UK influx of Hawfinch...I noted during last weeks TV Winterwatch programme that the reason for our invasion, was put down to a storm displacement of birds, that were previously en-route to Southern Europe. If that was the case, then presumably Southern European numbers are down this Winter?

PS on a lighter note, is this the worlds first ''Tri-ped'' Hawfinch. :eek!:
 

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Just a question regarding the Oct.'17,UK influx of Hawfinch...I noted during last weeks TV Winterwatch programme that the reason for our invasion, was put down to a storm displacement of birds, that were previously en-route to Southern Europe. If that was the case, then presumably Southern European numbers are down this Winter?

I've seen mention of unusually high numbers in Spain too, including some reaching the Canary Islands. So that seems a very unlikely explanation; I'd go with:

Failure of many plants to produce seeds due to frost late in spring? Some meteorological factors?

The widespread severe frosts of the end of April 2017, which killed tree flowers and caused a rare, extensive, multi-species seed crop failure.
 
I've seen mention of unusually high numbers in Spain too, including some reaching the Canary Islands. So that seems a very unlikely explanation; I'd go with:

The widespread severe frosts of the end of April 2017, which killed tree flowers and caused a rare, extensive, multi-species seed crop failure.

Yes that does seem to be the most likely cause Nutty and Roland, certainly carrying more credence than BBC1's Springwatch alternative, which came across to me, as possibly "sounding" more speculative than factual.

Cheers
 
300 reported today from Bramblehall Wood, London!!! Would assume that this might be a UK record?....also have there been any record breaking numbers claimed for any other European country so far?

Cheers
 
Now this am, 420+ reported from Bramblehall Woods, Surrey. :eek!:

Even allowing for an "approximate" count, this if it isn't already...heading towards a UK record? Assuming this is a build up for a Continental departure, would be interesting to know if there are any other build up, or increases elsewhere in the realm, or come to that the Continent?
 
Now this am, 420+ reported from Bramblehall Woods, Surrey. :eek!:

Even allowing for an "approximate" count, this if it isn't already...heading towards a UK record? Assuming this is a build up for a Continental departure, would be interesting to know if there are any other build up, or increases elsewhere in the realm, or come to that the Continent?

43 Hawfinch reported at Brown Robin Cumbria Wildlife Trust reserve Grange
 
Still very few and far between 'up north'; in Northumbs, only 2 or 3 at Morpeth, though have heard of a flock of 30 just over the border in Scotland. Several 'traditional' Northumbs Hawfinch sites have yet to report a single one in the whole winter yet, despite regular searches. Hoping that some might come north rather than head off east in the spring!
 
Now this am, 420+ reported from Bramblehall Woods, Surrey. :eek!:

Even allowing for an "approximate" count, this if it isn't already...heading towards a UK record? Assuming this is a build up for a Continental departure, would be interesting to know if there are any other build up, or increases elsewhere in the realm, or come to that the Continent?

This is fascinating stuff. Am I right in thinking there was both a flock of 450 and a different flock of 100 this week in Surrey? Had these sites been checked earlier in the winter?

Incidentally I missed all the earlier posts during the October influx. Just wanted to add I saw Hawfinch feeding on, well, hawthorn berries, as the name might imply, but also Coprosma berries and the very last one of several hundred I saw, I watched feeding on Agapanthus seeds.
 
This is fascinating stuff. Am I right in thinking there was both a flock of 450 and a different flock of 100 this week in Surrey? Had these sites been checked earlier in the winter?

Incidentally I missed all the earlier posts during the October influx. Just wanted to add I saw Hawfinch feeding on, well, hawthorn berries, as the name might imply, but also Coprosma berries and the very last one of several hundred I saw, I watched feeding on Agapanthus seeds.

If you check London wiki birds "latest news", you can go through the previous weeks records, and get a feel for their occurence within the area. Yes they enjoy a catholic diet of seeds, berries and stones- Hornbeam, Beech mast, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Laburnum, Cherry, Mistletoe etc. I suspect they'll have a "crack" at most fruits.

Cheers
 
Yes they enjoy a catholic diet of seeds, berries and stones- Hornbeam, Beech mast, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Laburnum, Cherry, Mistletoe etc. I suspect they'll have a "crack" at most fruits.

60 genera of trees & shrubs listed in their diet by BWP - so extremely varied :t:
 
Perhaps a difficult question to answer as it's of an "irruption" nature. Recently I've observed a soliciting female Hawfinch being fed by a male with the resulting courtship chases ensuing, is it likely that this behaviour would only be observed within an intended breeding area?

Cheers
 
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