HAWFINCH

A family engagement in Notts yesterday gave me the opportunity today to try and catch up with Hawfinch, a species i really like and which i recently realized i had not seen for several years - lazy!!

Recent regular sightings of several birds in Cromford, Derbys seemed to offer a good chance and i arrived in the Rugby Club car park at about 7.30 am. Several birders already present told me birds had been seen in there favored Beech tree earlier but had been flushed - not getting into it but the 2 cars with 3 toggers (no bins) camped out 20 feet away staring at empty lenses might not be helping!...

After standing about for a short while someone picked up 3 over the road in the church area which i saw briefly but they remained flighty for the next hour or so before settling distantly west  of the car park and giving nice scope views. Eventually up to 8 birds were counted - possibly worst pics yet below!

From here i headed up to the Langsett/Ewden valley area and had a pleasant if rather chilly couple of hours. Bit too breezy really and not much raptor action with only Common Buzzard, and 2 each of Sprawk and Kestrel. Similar regular birds to last week but no Wheatear or Ring Ouzel!!

Last stop was the patch where earlier M. Hemingway had found an apparent imm drake Scaup with the 2 semi-resident birds. saw this briefly but was running out of time. Still - HAPPY DAYS!!