The hawfinch was seen on a couple of occasions today, but spends more and more time away from it's favoured yew tree at the Gatehouse. Looking today, there are sparse pickings from the last few berries, so it must be feeding in other, as yet unfound, locations.

At least 25 bramblings were under the feeders in one flock this afternoon.

I'm heading North to Scotland tomorrow, so Peter our Senior Site manager will…

The hawfinch is still around, but sightings are fewer now, with a combination of less birders looking in the bad weather (and the return to work) and it generally seems to be more elusive as it spends less time in it's original favoured yew tree, where there are only a few berries left. We haven't found a new location to search for it easily, but at least it is still here!

The bramblings are a pretty good recompense…

Hurray! - after a frustrating morning with just one brief view as it flew across the car-park, the hawfinch waited for the torrential downpour to pass over, then came out and posed again at the front of the usual yew tree.
Other birds; lots of bramblings - siskin, two x lesser redpoll, yellowhammer, reed bunting, redwing. fieldfare, treecreeper, red kite, raven and  two stonechats over on Sandy Heath.

Happy New Year...

M…

The hawfinch has been seen several times today, although it isn't quite as obliging as it has been over the last week or so.
A good number of birders are here adding it to their 2017 lists!...

The female hawfinch was showing very well at times through the day yesterday, and Alan Reynolds sent this great shot of the bird demolishing one of the fast disapearing yew berries.

In less pleasant conditions this morning, the hawfinch has been seen, along with up to six bramblings again under the feeders.

What a difference a day makes. After yesterday's snowy wet greyness, today it's sun and clear blue skies, a little of yesterday's snow still lying cross the reserve, and crowds of well wrapped up visitors enjoying it all. Also really great views of the hawfinch again!

A small group of around eight bramblings under the entrance feeding station have brightened up an otherwise very dull, wintery day, with snow, sleet and rain throughout the morning and early afternoon. The feeders have been really busy with large numbers of tits and finches making the most of the seed and suet on offer in these cold temperatures.

I've had a few scans in the yews for any hawfinches, but I've not spotted…

It's been very quiet on the reserve on this dull and dark winters day, I think the birders are all Christmas shopping, so we've had no reports of any hawfinches today, although bramblings and siskins are about in the Gatehouse car-park area and under the feeders.

Lizzie and Mark at The Lodge are both in today, but this will be the last blog from us until after Boxing Day, so we'd like to wish you a very happy…

The hawfinch was still showing at times yesterday, although not everyone was lucky enough to see it. I haven't met anyone who's seen it this morning so far (11:30 update.... two or three hawfinches have just been feeding in the yew tree). There are a few bramblings around, I saw a couple under the feeders by the entrance when I arrived, which was a nice start to the day!

Ray Piercy is quick off the mark, he just…

What could we end the working week with but another great image of one of the long staying hawfinches, munching berries on top of the yew tree in the Gatehouse car-park?

Up to three birds have been very obliging at times this week, and today, I, along with a group of other birders, saw two together in the bright afternoon sunlight. A smaller group of bramblings are under the feeders this week, but around six can sti…

Winter has arrived in force since my last blog, written just before I went away for a week. A good coating of snow made The Lodge look wonderful yesterday, although the wet, sleety, cold conditions today aren't so great! We've just been admiring the most stunning sunset, so after such a grey day it was an unexpected but welcome ending and I've not done it justice with the final images of this set!.

Brambling…

There seemed to be even more bramblings around the gatehouse today, with probably 20 or more under the entrance feeders alone! The hawfinch has been seen again in the car-park area as well, hopefully it will join the bramblings on the feed we are scattering on the ground!

There seemed to be even more bramblings around the gatehouse today, with probably 20 or more under the entrance feeders alone! the hawfinch has been seen again in the car-park area as well, hopefully it will join the bramblings on the feed we are scattering on the ground!

A great start to the day, with a mini- flock of bramblings, both male and female, under the entrance feeders. We've been putting extra seed on the ground to attract them, and who knows, maybe a hawfinch might pop up amongst them if we are very fortunate!

Our roving ranger Keith took these wintry pictures of the reserve, and it looks as if it will be very cold again in coming days.

After the good views of the hawfinches yesterday. it seems that after an early morning sighting, most birders have drawn a blank today. But to prove they are really here, and there's at least two birds, here are some pictures of a male and female captured by Ray Piercy over the weekend.

The hawfinch has been much more obliging today, posing at intervals in oak and yew trees in the sunshine, around the Gatehouse (shop) car-park. I even managed to get a few good views myself, after several fleeting glimpses in flight over recent weeks.

While we were watching the hawfinch, both a raven and a low flying red kite passed over, redpolls and bramblings have been seen and there are lots of redwings, mistle and song…

A lot of birders have been spending time craning up into the trees in the car-park today, with several sightings of hawfinch the reward, bramblings and siskins have made a good supporting cast.

Our now regular photographer Robin Gilmore has just sent me these awesome pictures of the reserve on Sunday! - thanks Rob. Another photographer, I only know he was called Peter, took this great shot of a sparrowhawk at the recent…

On a stunning late autumn day with the car park bursting at the seams, there's been several brief sightings of a hawfinch amongst the flocks of thrushes feeding through the Yew trees in the visitor car-park. Goldcrests, great spotted woodpecker, a bullfinch, chaffinches and greenfinches have joined in the feast. A pair of ravens were very vocal in the Douglas Firs on the new heath and jays have been busy feeding around…

Bedford RSPB local group 

Meet at ARA club, Manton Lane Bedford MK41 7PF.

Thursday 16th November  at 7.30
Jo Thomas presents ‘Birds of India’. Jo runs the travel company ‘Wild about Travel’ and has a vast & interesting knowledge of India’s spectacular wildlife. 

Suitable for Experts and Novices, RSPB membership not essential. 

Join us at The Lodge reserve on Sunday for the popular bird ringing event - and find out what we discover about the birds and why we ring them.

Give Nature a Home Day

Sunday 12 November                 10.30 am – 2.30 pm

An event full of discovery, held on the Gatehouse lawn.

• Bird ringing demonstrations throughout the event

• Get nice and messy making bird cake

• Visit the RSPB Bedford local group stand.

On Sunday 5th November we are holding our annual fungi forays, led by renowned local expert Alan Outen. Although the peak season seems to have passed this year, Alan and the Beds Fungi group will find anything that's popped up in recent days.

Fantastic Fungi

2 sessions

Sunday 5 November                                 10.30 am – 12.30pm

Sunday 5 November                             13:30 pm -   3pm

Come along to discover and identify some of the many hundreds of wonderful…

One of our most regular photographers, Ray Piercy, spent several hours in the hide yesterday waiting for a hawfinch - and his patience was rewarded with this stonking view of a single bird drinking from the pool.

We've had further sightings of the hawfinch in flight over the meadow this morning - along with two reports of hobby's over the reserve today - it is nearly November isn't it??

I've decided that hawfinches are good for your health. We've had several reports of birds at and around the hide recently, including three before 9 am today, then we've dashed down and just missed them each time. I've had a fly over and a brief view through the 'scope on one of the birds in a hornbeam on nearby Hawksberry Meadows last weekend, but not one of a nice perched bird on the reserve. My heart-rate…