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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Hawfinch (1 Viewer)

Sandra (Taylor)

Well-known member
Just back from a smashing day out. Saw hawfinch at Woodwell! One female in top of tree. Watched for 10 mins. Seemed to be eating seed pods. Then had more distant views of 2 others. Pair of nuthatch nearby too.

Then called at Leighton Moss where there was a big flock of black-tailed godwit. They looked peculiarly grey - think the light didn't help. There looked to be a snow goose amongst a flock of greylags, but someone in the hide said it was a hybrid. (Still had all the characteristics of a snow goose). 3 barnacle geese there too - may have been more. A merlin had all the waders up in the air and when they'd settled we saw a peregrine on the fence. Last stop was the causeway to the public hide where we had good views of a pair of reedlings. Aren't they stunning? They were at the feeding tables where grit is placed for them.

The waxwings in Halifax will just have to wait for another day - maybe tomorrow.

Sandra
 
Hi Sandra, sounds like you had a great day, more so with the Hawfinch sightings they really are a good find, not that i'am a little green with envy! As for the Black-tailedgodwits they sure do look drab in their gray winter plumage. + Merlin & Peregrine all in all a nice report of your day out.
bert.
 
A BF member, James and his wife, kindly took me to Woodwell to find some Hawfinches in February or March but sadly there were none to be seen. I was happy though as close by there was a campsite with a large sign called Gibraltar Farm where my family stayed on the way up to Scotland. I even remembered digging up a blue plastic handled chisel which we still have about 20 years later!
 
My wife and I take a trip over to the Forest of Dean around once a week to watch birds. We've been doing this for over a year now in the constant hope that we will see "hawfinches". We visit all the right places but to date we have not been lucky. We envy you Sandra! Maybe tomorrow we will hit the jackpot. Bird watching is just like fishing "you should have been here last week mate there were plenty around" !! Dave
 
Congrats. on the Hawfinches. I dipped on them earlier in the year though they have been reported this week in my area.

I must admit that I usually enjoy my trips to LM though they are few and far between. Well done on the Beared Tit as well :t:
 
Sandra (Taylor) said:
There looked to be a snow goose amongst a flock of greylags, but someone in the hide said it was a hybrid. (Still had all the characteristics of a snow goose).
Sandra

Which characteristics of Snow Goose? If it was white with black wingtips that would be promising, if it looked like a blue phase there are several hybrids resembling this form in Lancs. There was a Snow Goose with Greylags on the Lune estuary this week, not all that far from Leighton.

Stephen.
 
Reward

I think we've earned the hawfinches today, Dave. We've been many times to try for them and we reckon we see one every 7 visits!! It's only just over an hour drive from home so if we don't hit lucky it's a nice drive and Leighton Mows is always a delight.
 
Snow Goose

Yes, Stephen, it was pure white with black wing tips. And that lovely shaped head they have. I wasn't in doubt at all but the guy in the hide seemed dismissive. But it's odd if there were two flocks of greylag in the similar area each with a snow goose, isn't it? I'm ticking it anyway!
 
OK...I'm off to Leighton Moss tomorrow LOL Merlin, Peregrine AND Snow Goose...WOW!!! I'm just a tad green with envy here!!! It's times like this that I curse the fact that I have not yet passed my driving test...shouldn't be too long now though according to my instructor! And then my poor hubby will be extremely lucky to see me at weekends...or during the week come to that! Got a LOT of birding to catch up on and a lot of Northumberland Wildlife Trust reserves to visit!
We often stay with friends who live in the Lake District and I always INSIST on a trip to LM...absolutely LOVE the place! Had a Bittern there four days into my honeymoon in 2001...best wedding pressie ever! I haven't been there this year...first time in about five years...though as I'm not working at the moment I should just book into a B&B and go spend a whole day there from dawn to dusk..HEAVEN!!!
At the risk of causing an uproar (sorry in advance guys!) but could the other birder have been rather dismissive of your Snow Goose BECAUSE you are a female birder? Despite birding for 22 years and my husband barely knowing more than half a dozen species, it is ALWAYS Neil who other (normally male) birders speak to and discuss birding topics with! I even had one chap at Leighton Moss dismiss my sighting of a Marsh Harrier about 100 yards away, which he didn't see, as a GULL!!!!!
Lovely to hear about your days out though...keep them coming!

GILL
 
Whoops...also meant to say well done for seeing a Hawfinch! My first were three flying over Jesmond Dene in May 1986 which I was shown by Michael Frankis. I haven't seen any more since despite looking hard. But as we recently moved to the more remote areas of Northumberland and Alnwick is a short drive away I really MUST visit Hulne Park...it's in the November issue of Birdwatching Magazine, page 51. I may just do it in the coming week as I don't have anything planned yet.

GILL
 
Sandra (Taylor) said:
The waxwings in Halifax will just have to wait for another day - maybe tomorrow.

Sandra

Congratulations on the Hawfinch but where abouts in halifax are the waxwings please. That would be near enough for us to go tomorrow.
 
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