Hawfinch question... (1 Viewer)

[rollingthunder]

The recent Hawfinch records in the region, particularly the urban records, appear to be part of a national pattern with widespread reports of overflying birds. Are these part of a nearby Continental influx? I didn’t think this species was irruptive and thought just localised post-breeding dispersal would be the reason? I don’t recall widespread annual movement of a species that has restricted and localised breeding habitat.....

Any thoughts anybody?

Laurie:t:

 

[Sedgley Birder]

The recent Hawfinch records in the region, particularly the urban records, appear to be part of a national pattern with widespread reports of overflying birds. Are these part of a nearby Continental influx? I didn’t think this species was irruptive and thought just localised post-breeding dispersal would be the reason? I don’t recall widespread annual movement of a species that has restricted and localised breeding habitat.....

Any thoughts anybody?

Laurie:t:

I posed this question, and Birdergaz mentioned that there has been 1000's reported in France - Will be interesting what winter records produce locally and breeding records next year if some stay too breed?

 

[Jhanlon]

I posed this question, and Birdergaz mentioned that there has been 1000's reported in France - Will be interesting what winter records produce locally and breeding records next year if some stay too breed?

They do seem to have come from the continent but where exactly, I'm not sure. Have they been reported in large numbers in any countries other than France?

Also interested in the route they are taking - lots of reports locally but no one is mentioning the direction they are flying in which would help. Also which winds are encouraging movement? I think the prevailing S'westerly has been productive, but not sure about other conditions.

I've yet to witness any part of the influx myself but my efforts have been somewhat half-hearted. Stepping it up now with a target of an hour's vismig from my back door planned each day for the rest of this week. This morning produced siskin & redpoll but no big boys.

 

[Sedgley Birder]

They do seem to have come from the continent but where exactly, I'm not sure. Have they been reported in large numbers in any countries other than France?

Also interested in the route they are taking - lots of reports locally but no one is mentioning the direction they are flying in which would help. Also which winds are encouraging movement? I think the prevailing S'westerly has been productive, but not sure about other conditions.

I've yet to witness any part of the influx myself but my efforts have been somewhat half-hearted. Stepping it up now with a target of an hour's vismig from my back door planned each day for the rest of this week. This morning produced siskin & redpoll but no big boys.

Haven't seen hawfinch for a few years - Not familiar with the flight call, but have familiarised myself with it using Xenocanto

 

[rollingthunder]

Haven't seen hawfinch for a few years - Not familiar with the flight call, but have familiarised myself with it using Xenocanto

Ditto mate but there again we are..........brothers!:t:

The last one i saw locally were at Chillington about 15 years ago but have clicked on visits to Portugal where they seem a lot more confiding with views of them feeding in Conifer leaf litter in parks etc.

I look forward to, hopefully, clicking with them - if they get them in Tipton ffs

Laurie -

 

[rollingthunder]

Attached is a map posted elsewhere showing the spread of Hawfinch’s reported thus far with more in the region ystda inc 2 over Sedgely Beacon it’s eyes (and ears) to the skies.....

Laurie:t:

 

[Egrets Ivadafew]

Thanks Laurie, fascinating stuff. I suppose the age old question is, is that glut of sightings across central England where the Hawfinches are actually concentrating flight patterns, or is it because a denser population (of people) mean more of us are watching/reporting? (If you see what I mean).

 

[Sedgley Birder]

Haven't seen hawfinch for a few years - Not familiar with the flight call, but have familiarised myself with it using Xenocanto

With the current influx of Hawfinch, worth familiarising yourself with the flight call using Xeno Canto :t:
http://www.xeno-canto.org/explore?query=hawfinch

 

[rollingthunder]

As soon as ppl get a ‘heads up’ they are alerted, similiar to Waxwing years i suppose :-/

Chance favours the prepared mind


Laurie:t:

 

[Woodchat]

Irruptions of Hawfinch have been noted in the past - for instance, there was a notable one 10 years ago when they turned up in unusual places. Andy Warr wrote an article for the Worcester Record / WBRC:

http://www.wbrc.org.uk/WORCRECD/Issue 20/irruption_of_wintering_hawfinch_.htm

I remember seeing one in a garden in Worcester circa March, 2006 and a couple around Croome Park that year.

More recently I have recorded a few birds in autumn / early winter in the last 5 years (inc flock of 4) on my patch.

I haven't connected with any so far this year unfortunately but I live in hope - they're cracking birds to see - one of my favourites.

 

[Birdbrain]

Not that many if any reported in Lincolnshire yet looks like they are steering clear by that map ( no puns please ) but I'm not from Lincs so crack on

Not that many wooded areas but a few so will go check them out and hope for the Hawmouse call from above :t:

Attached is a map posted elsewhere showing the spread of Hawfinch’s reported thus far with more in the region ystda inc 2 over Sedgely Beacon it’s eyes (and ears) to the skies.....

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

I suppose there must be a few most years but local birds wandering about can’t be discounted but the unprecedented arrival courtesy of Storm Ophelia hasn’t had an equivalent during my birding tenure iirc...

I still have not caught up with one. Spent 9:30 > 11 up on Ridge Hill today at Wordsley, with the dog, to no avail.

Here’s Hettie looking for Hawfinches:eek!:

Laurie:t:

 

[Woodchat]

Hawfinch has an interesting history in the UK:

"In the 18th century, the hawfinch was recorded as only a rare winter visitor in Britain. The first breeding record was early in the 19th century; by the early 1830s, a well-documented colony was established at Epping Forest in Essex, and breeding was also recorded in other counties east and south of London. Further expansion of the range continued through the 19th and 20th centuries, with breeding occurring as far north as Aberdeenshire by 1968–1972. Peak numbers were in the period 1983–1990. Subsequently, there has been a significant decline of between 37% and 45% between 1990–1999"

It seems (in its more recent history, at least) that it may have colonized as a breeding bird just a couple of centuries ago and since then its breeding population has waxed and waned. I guess that this might be expected for a species on the edge of its range responding to availability of food and habitat resources. In the UK we often seem to think of 'our' breeding populations of birds as being completely separate from those on the continent - in some cases that is true - but in many cases they are in fact part of the same 'metapopulation'*.

It is also possible that the initial 'colonization' stemmed from an irruption event.

*A metapopulation is a group of populations that are separated by space but consist of the same species. These spatially separated populations interact as individual members move from one population to another.

 

[rollingthunder]

It will be interesting to see if any irruptive birds stay to breed in our relatively benign Atlantic climate. Hawfinch in other parts of their range are found, as breeders, in a wider range of habitats. One tree species, Hornbeam, is a favourite Winter food but its natural range in the UK is restricted to the mixed chalky gravels of the Home Counties and the South East. I regularly carried out management work in the 70’s at Broxbourne Woods NNR in Hertfordshire which is the UK’s largest Hornbeam wood and Hawfinch parties were regular as a Winter feeding species👍

Laurie -

 

[rollingthunder]

Still no luck but it got me thinking:smoke:

4 or 5 years ago, on one of my trips to Morocco, i recorded 2 Hawfinches feeding in a Date plantation at Zagora in the Draa Valley. The area is heavily reliant on Dates so it is a common habitat to look for birds altho i hasten to add it was early-December.

When i got back to Blighty i submitted my records to Patrick Bergier who runs the Go-South website and is the go-to for all things Maric birdwise:t: He informed me that my record was the furthest South he had heard of and exceeded the previous records by nearly 200 miles as all reports he has are generally no further South than the Atlas Mountains.

The appearance of birds on the Canaries looks like eclipsing mine but i would be interested to see whether the Zagora birds were the most Southerley record in the Western Palearctic when i saw them?

I also recorded an unseasonal, singing, Rock Thrush - the only record in Maroc for December.

Laurie:t: