Hawfinch
Glorious birds, and my favourites. Always alert, and wary, they will sense danger before any other woodland species. As a child, I knew of a few favoured haunts of these, mainly thanks to my Uncle who was Head ranger of the forestry commission, and indeed earned the M.B.E for his services to wildlife. My late Grandfather used to breed these tricky customers, along with Crossbills, and many more. That beak can exert a huge crushing force, and easily smash cherry stones. And that powerful bill changes in Spring from a Pink/Ivory to a beautiful Gun metal blue. I was blessed to find that wonderful old book by Guy Mountfort who studied these charismatic birds both here, and in France for many years. For some reason, probably because of their divine plumage, and odd behaviour when observed, they tend to pull at my heartstrings a little more than even my beloved raptors, Beardies, and Yaffles. There are still decent sites such as The Forest of Dean, Cromford, Derbyshire, Clumber Park, Sizebergh castle, Scone palace, Bedgebury in Kent, and Bramfield in Hertfordshire where you may be lucky enough to see them. Also Eastern Europe is still a major stronghold, as here they are sadly in serious decline, due to a number of factors, the Grey squirrel being a major one. This taken in Norfolk.
Hawfinch
Glorious birds, and my favourites. Always alert, and wary, they will sense danger before any other woodland species. As a child, I knew of a few favoured haunts of these, mainly thanks to my Uncle who was Head ranger of the forestry commission, and indeed earned the M.B.E for his services to wildlife. My late Grandfather used to breed these tricky customers, along with Crossbills, and many more. That beak can exert a huge crushing force, and easily smash cherry stones. And that powerful bill changes in Spring from a Pink/Ivory to a beautiful Gun metal blue. I was blessed to find that wonderful old book by Guy Mountfort who studied these charismatic birds both here, and in France for many years. For some reason, probably because of their divine plumage, and odd behaviour when observed, they tend to pull at my heartstrings a little more than even my beloved raptors, Beardies, and Yaffles. There are still decent sites such as The Forest of Dean, Cromford, Derbyshire, Clumber Park, Sizebergh castle, Scone palace, Bedgebury in Kent, and Bramfield in Hertfordshire where you may be lucky enough to see them. Also Eastern Europe is still a major stronghold, as here they are sadly in serious decline, due to a number of factors, the Grey squirrel being a major one. This taken in Norfolk.