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Sizergh Hawfinches (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Apodemus
- Start date
IanF
Moderator
Others will hopefully have more up to date info than me but last March you had to look no further than the car park. You could see them throughout the day but mornings around 9.00am were better as they were in the trees surrounding the car park and coming down to seed on the grass under the trees in the corner opposite the cafe. Previous visits we'd seen them in the gardens of the castle by walking back out the car park and down the side of the stone wall.
They're closed in winter - looks like the cafe is open from 1st Feb but I don't know of the main gates are open before that or if it's just the car park that's closed - it's a long walk from the main gates!
They're closed in winter - looks like the cafe is open from 1st Feb but I don't know of the main gates are open before that or if it's just the car park that's closed - it's a long walk from the main gates!
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Cristian Mihai
Cristian Mihai
Good news is that you can drive into the car park at any time even if the shop and grounds isn't open and the the car park is the best place for the hawfinches. There will be NT staff around even if the place isn't open and they are used to the birders.
The bad news is that they have been very much less than regular over this winter with only a few records. They are no doubt still there but they are spread out in the woodland rather than concentrated on the hornbeam mast.
The generally accepted method is to loiter round the car park and hope!
The bad news is that they have been very much less than regular over this winter with only a few records. They are no doubt still there but they are spread out in the woodland rather than concentrated on the hornbeam mast.
The generally accepted method is to loiter round the car park and hope!
Some were seen today. http://www.lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forum/read.php?1,34210
They seem to being seen more often now http://www.lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forum/read.php?1,34444
IanF
Moderator
Cheers for that. All being well we'll be over there at the weekend :t:
Just need some decent weather now to go with them!
Johnny1
Well-known member
According to the early forcasts high pressure coming in so should be dry and sunny.
Hawfinch video
Here's some footage of the Hawfinches at Sizergh filmed over several days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZsiqHWYWEE
Anyone visiting to see the Hawfinch please respect the grounds and try not to disturb the Hawfinch which are very wary and easily disturbed. I would recommend using your car as a hide. If you do this make sure you've got all your viewing kit in the car and not the boot before you arrive !
Here's some footage of the Hawfinches at Sizergh filmed over several days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZsiqHWYWEE
Anyone visiting to see the Hawfinch please respect the grounds and try not to disturb the Hawfinch which are very wary and easily disturbed. I would recommend using your car as a hide. If you do this make sure you've got all your viewing kit in the car and not the boot before you arrive !
Alan McFadyen
Member
Great advice Fraser, when I was there the other week for the first time I did exactly that. A lot of others unwittingly caused a lot of disturbance to the birds.
IanF
Moderator
Just an update from last week. We visited a couple of times and managed to see 8-10 each visit with up to four coming down to the ground together to feed on the provided black sunflower hearts. Each day one of the local birders put out food early morning to help attract them. If birders sat quietly in their cars the Hawfinches gave very close views.
We found the same though that each day someone always turned up and stood around chatting right beside where the birds wanted to come down to or getting out the car for binos or people walking by. Usually within 20 minutes though the birds were returning.
We found the same though that each day someone always turned up and stood around chatting right beside where the birds wanted to come down to or getting out the car for binos or people walking by. Usually within 20 minutes though the birds were returning.
