Question about Hawfinch migration (3 Viewers)

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,

does anyone can give information about abundance of migrating Hawfinch this season (autumn/winter/spring 2021/22)? Where they scarcer, about normal or more frequent?
I am also interested about more general/broader answers about this topic. Thanks for any input!

 

[KenM]

Alexander Hi,

Hawfinch is one of my (if not) favourite birds,
unfortunately they have largely disappeared from my neck of the woods (NE.London), primarily because the introduced Grey Squirrel population.
Which is no longer “controlled” by the “authorities”…suspect it’s not PC (politically correct) to do so now😩.

As I understand it, (Epping Forest is almost devoid of conifers), of which Grey Squirrels are not fond of, also a lack of mainline predators such as Pine Marten/Goshawk results in an infestation of the “rodent” to the detriment of any bird species that is primarily a “fork tree” nester, of which Hawfinch and Golden Oriole are principle to.

It can be no coincidence that once culling was stopped in the ‘90’s, Hawfinch started it’s year on year demise as the squirrel population expanded.
It’s an introduced rodent that should be controlled with absolute vigour, as it also strips native Hornbeam and Hawthorn berries to the detriment of “all” bird species that require this sustenance (Thrushes/Finches in Autumn Winter, personal observation).

Have seen, just two squirrels strip a mature Hawthorn of berries in just two days (back garden).
However there are parts of the country that have good numbers of conifers (roost/nesting trees) and populations of Goshawk/Pine Marten that enable Hawfinches to breed in reasonable numbers.

Not a problem you have on the continent Alexander.👍

Cheers

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Hello,

does anyone can give information about abundance of migrating Hawfinch this season (autumn/winter/spring 2021/22)? Where they scarcer, about normal or more frequent?
I am also interested about more general/broader answers about this topic. Thanks for any input!

Unfortunately, I have no other years data to compare this with, but in 11 1 hour vismig sessions in an innocuous little corner of France in October, I counted 222 birds, including counts of 68 on 20th and 56 on 24th. See here for counts and recordings of migrating birds https://ebird.org/tripreport/4351

I have no idea if this is high or low - but it's certainly more than I was expecting. Previous winter high count from the same place was six birds!

 

[Xenospiza]

Hello,

does anyone can give information about abundance of migrating Hawfinch this season (autumn/winter/spring 2021/22)? Where they scarcer, about normal or more frequent?
I am also interested about more general/broader answers about this topic. Thanks for any input!

According to trektellen.nl, last year showed a conspicuous peak in late October in the Netherlands. The amounts looked similar to the previous years, although quite a bit better than the early 2010s.
This spring may be better than usual as well, although this is not clear for all sites (for Breskens, this year looks quite bad, at De Vulkaan (The Hague) it looks quite good but there May 2020 was a much better month).

It's a shame not more people in Germany enter their data in this site... Locally, Hawfinch movement has been the comparable to the previous two years where I had to spend all spring on my local patch, although late March looked better than usual. The only period that stands out for me is autumn 2017.