Well it is the irruption that just keeps on giving. Here in Buckinghamshire, Hawfinches went out of fashion in the late 1980's and gradually dwindled away to nothing from a very small breeding and wintering population in 1988. Last autumn, unprecedented numbers passed through Ivinghoe Hills Nature Reserve during October & November, my Birdtrack data indicating that I logged over 300 over several weeks. The numbers arriving in the UK at this time being truly staggering, with such an irruption being witnessed elsewhere in Continental Europe too, involving 25,000 birds or more - all down to a Beechmast failure in Eastern Europe.
In December, I was fortunate enough to see up to 40 birds in Hornbeams at Great Hampden, as well as several other smaller groups of wintering birds in Chesham Bois, Chorleywood and Chenies. Anyway, a couple of weeks before Christmas, I followed up a sighting in Little Missenden close to my Shardeloes Lake local patch and was delighted to see that a small number were frequenting the tall trees in an amenity park there and visiting gardens, particularly that of The Manor House. Numbers slowly increased and by the New Year, at least 38 were in the hamlet. I can only assume, as food begins to run out or become scarce, birds are relocating and re-gathering. Anyway, in today's brilliant sunshine and calm conditions, no fewer than 53 birds were present - the highest number I have ever recorded in Buckinghamshire.
The birds are highly mobile and have several favourite feeding areas but today seemed to have the Yew trees at the back of the church in their sights. Anyway, consequently, I couldn't resist photographing them and took well over 500 shots! Here is a selection of my most interesting. One bird has an almost wholly white tail!
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