all three again today back at marbury park. another (or the same) female lesser this time on the dairy-house meadow side of neumanns flash with a green nearby and plenty of greats in big wood. also treecreepers, bullfinches, goldcrests and buzzards, and the mere had kingfishers, goosander and a continental-race cormerant

Regarding the unusual sightings of strange variant Pheasants at Leighton Moss, I saw an albino one near the lower hide only a week ago plus the melanistic bird near the feeders. Must just be pot luck that they occur.

only 2 woodpecker species today! scoured "the row" unsuccessfully for a hawfinch, but found marsh tits, bullfinches, treecreepers, goldcrests, nuthatches, woodcock and a mistle thrush in full song. went down to woodwell and found more marsh tits, treecreepers and bullfinches before finally spotting a hawfinch in a large beech near the field-gate at the carpark on woodwell lane. on to leighton moss, where i saw buzzards, sparrowhawk, the usual winter wildfowl and a black pheasant. heard water rails calling as the starlings started piling in. found the great white in the middle of the little egret roost, before the light and the feeling in my toes went. great day searching new areas, even though the weather was bobbins, and 2 lifers! so thanks again for the info lads

Mark - One of the best sites i have seen Hawfinch in the UK is at a place called "The Row" in the Lyth valley, Cumbria, just south west of Kendal, not that far from Leighton moss.

Not only I have i seen Hawfinch here in numbers, excellent views of the birds feeding on the ground are possible, my only ever views of the species on the ground have been at this site, with several birds feeding on fallen fruit in a little orchard.

From the A590 take the A5074 4 miles north to Row, park carefully in the village and take the track north west visible on the OS map heading towards Fell Side, anywhere around here is good for Hawfinch and make sure you check around the Orchard. Best time of year is probably Jan-Mar.

You wont be dissapointed

Paulh wrote:

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never failed at woodwell yet in the winter, call in at leighton Moss and the Staff there will point you in the right direction, can be an excellent day out.
keep birding.

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it's OK for some I've been going regularly since I first heard about this place some 10-12 years ago and have dipped every single time. Last time the inevitable " you should have been here 10 minutes ago" came out.

never failed at woodwell yet in the winter, call in at leighton Moss and the Staff there will point you in the right direction, can be an excellent day out.
keep birding.

thanks all for the info, gonna try woodwell and conwy when the trees are bare. dipped at conwy valley last year but the black grouse lek at worlds end made up for it! pete, sorry but it was the same lesser pecker at chorlton. i was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. nearly knocked myself out with my bins when the lads told me what they were looking at!

To follow Tony's continental angle they are common and easy to see in the parkland below the Alhambra in Granada too!!

Woodwell at Silverdale near Leighton Moss often has themm. Best to see in Winter when the leaves have fallen.

Anywhere in southern Spain !
Hawfinches seem to be in every Pine tree you look at, in Donana.

mevan wrote:

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any tips for my first hawfinch!

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Conwy Valley later in the year - most reliable spot I've found - but still not guaranteed!

Was it the female Lesser-spot that was at Chorlton WP 28th - 31st Dec 2005 you saw Mark ? ( photo by Tim Wilcox on this web-site ). Just curious and gripped because I've never seen one there and it's the only record I know of.

not sure rob. it had been really foggy all day and lifted for just an hour or two before rolling in again. the lesser seemed to be making the most of the brief sunshine; basking and preening its wings. ive only ever had a good look at one before, at chorlton water park mid winter. the weather wasnt too clever then either so maybe your right. any tips for my first hawfinch!

Foggy days seem to bring the Lesser Spots down lower - I've seen them well a couple of times in poor conditions - whereas in Spring you tend to need fine sunny days.

Coincedence or habit I wonder.

marbury park and neumanns flash= plenty of great spotteds, two greens and cripling views of a fem lesser spotted feeding, then sat preening in the sun for a good few minutes (no camera!). also- redwings, bullfinches, kingfishers, courting black swans, nuthatches, raven curlew, dabchicks, treecreeper, buzzard, teal, gadwall, fieldfare, goldcrest, plus the commoner species, 2 toads and a vole. might have seen more but it was like pea soup