It pays to keep an eye on the garden (1 Viewer)

jackied

Jax

• Nov 18, 2012

• #1

I was doing my usual weekend birdwatch yesterday, 2 hours counting all the birds I can see from my garden. Things were a little slow, just the usual Tits and finches, I found myself wishing for a Fieldfare or even a Waxwing. Then a movement in the top of a larch tree caught my eye, a Mistlethrush had just landed. As I raised the binoculars for a look, something landed next to him. A Smaller but chunky Finch with a big conical bill and thick black markings around the bill. A Hawfinch!! He was only there for about 30 seconds and then both birds flew off. If I hadn't been keeping a close eye on what was out there I would have missed him, so keep your eyes peeled, you never know.
Jackie

 

Mary

Well-known member

• Nov 18, 2012

• #2

Fabulous, Jackie! Certainly right place, right time!

 

JWN Andrewes

Poor Judge of Pasta.

• Nov 18, 2012

• #3

Hats off Jackie! I'm very keen on my garden watching, and a Hawfinch would make my year.

 

Bananafishbones

Incoherently Rambling .....

• Nov 18, 2012

• #4

JWN Andrewes said:

Hats off Jackie! I'm very keen on my garden watching, and a Hawfinch would make my year.

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Jackie big congrats on a garden mega, would be on most peoples wish list B

I had a meally Redpoll for 120 consecutive days which was good, even had a few people round to twitch it :t:

 

jackied

Jax

• Nov 19, 2012

• #5

I have to admit that this is not the first time one has been seen in the garden. Many years ago I came home from work and my mother said she had had one under the feeders. She based her ID solely on the bill size and colour, I have to say I was a bit sceptical and privately thought I would believe it when I saw it. Then a few years later I noticed a chunky Finch in the neighbours wild cherry trees, but it was just a bit too far away to get a definite ID. A few days later it came in to our hedge and I got a good look at my first Hawfinch. It stayed for two and a half months until February, then disappeared never to return. I know of no populations any closer than about 7 or 8 miles away, would they move that far?
Jackie

 

Jos Stratford

Eastern Exile

Staff member

• Nov 19, 2012

• #6

jackied said:

I know of no populations any closer than about 7 or 8 miles away, would they move that far?
Jackie

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There is possibility it could even been a continental bird, the northern and eastern populations migratory (eg a fairly common bird here in summer, but almost all absent during the winter). So either a wandering UK bird or from much further, but either way, an excellent bird for a garden.

 

S

Simon Wates

Well-known member

• Nov 19, 2012

• #7

We have even had small flocks (up to 20 birds) passing through Sagres, Portugal in the extreme southwest of Europe. Like Jos suggests for your birds I believe that these are more likely long distance migrants rather than from local breeding populations.

 

Kits

Picture Picker

Social Media Editor

• Nov 19, 2012

• #8

What a brilliant experience for you.

 

jackied

Jax

• Nov 19, 2012

• #9

Thanks for the info, I always thought they were pretty sedentary.
Jackie

 

jackied

Jax

• Nov 24, 2012

• #10

The Larch tree has come up trumps for a second time. I noticed a small flock of large Finches with heavy bills land in the top, raising my bins I could see the colour, which was brick red on the one I was looking at, and that the tip of the bill had a twist to it. Another of the birds was green, a male and female Crossbill. There were 2 others in the tree, but I couldn't see their colours as they were hidden by branches. That's a first for my garden.
Jackie