I thought I'd start the day with a quick walk around the short trail. As the breeding season draws to a close I have little idea what to expect to see and hear as I walk around. The now familiar sound of nuthatches accompanied my walk, with tits, wrens and robins joining in from time to time.
As I approached the furthest point of the trail I slowed up and tuned my ears in properly. As I looked up at the rowans I could see birds flitting about high up, I crept forward and looked for the bullfinches my ears were telling me were there. Sure enough after a little scanning I picked up two very smart looking males on the upper branches, and a female tucked in a little below them, all feasting on the seeds from the berries. Song thrush and juvenile blackbirds were moving about in the area too, making the post of this 'all you can eat buffet'. A movement to my left caught my attention as a blackcap sat in a small birch nearby, and a family of wrens let me know I was being watched.
A woodpecker was on the search for a good breakfast to. I kept track of it's movements as the drumming of strong bill on dead wood softly echoed about me, the bird wasn't for being seen though!
All of a sudden my attention came back to the rowans as I heard a different call. A bit more scanning and I eventually saw a hawfinch about halfway up the same tree the bullfinches were in. They aren't easy to pick out with just binoculars, but I'm confident there were at least 2 there.
Lewis has been getting much better views with both scope and camera, and this photo taken on Sunday is just lovely. He has also managed to get a couple of photos of hawfinches with colour rings. The information from these birds is great for increasing our understanding of the habits of these birds, and will help us make sure we can provide the things they need in order to stop the decline of the population. If you are also lucky (or skilled) enough to see colour rings please do let us have as much information about the sighting as you can - either talk to us in the visitor centre, or contact us at the office.
Juvenile Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes, RSPB Nagshead (photo: Lewis Thomson)
Highlights from the weekend include crossbill sightings, pied wagtail outside the visitor centre and a curlew flying over!
Butterflies and dragonflies have been very active too, with silver-washed fritiliary frequently seen in and around the carpark.
Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia, RSPB Nagshead (Photo: Lewis Thomson).