Sunday 17 December 2017

Thenford :: 17 December 2017

After last month’s failed attempt at seeing hawfinch, I was interested to read on @987jonty's twitter feed that there were still two or three hanging around Thenford Church. I'd been busy picking up my eldest daughter from Uni on Saturday and so after breakfast Sunday I made a quick visit.

Actually it was bloody freezing standing still watching across the lake to the yew and other trees on the far side of the lake. A few flyovers but none were hawfinch. I had been told to listen out for the flight call but the main sounds came from mistle thrush.

Without any success I dropped down the wall from the churchyard to the Hawfinchpath beyond and talked briefly to a small group walking their who helpfully suggested that the birds had moved on. Starting to rain I turned and saw a small group of finches at the top of a distant tree; predominantly greenfinch but one turned out to be hawfinch [#172]. I’d started to believe was a mythical creature but at last some success.

Sightings (16) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, carrion crow, chaffinch, collared dove, coot, dunnock, greenfinch, hawfinch, house sparrow, mistle thrush, robin, starling, woodpigeon and wren.

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