More on the Hawfinches at Woodstock 17th March - 4th April 2025

Following our last encounter with Hawfinches in the cemetery a week or so ago see here I suggested to Gareth that it might be a good idea to put some sunflower seed down in the secluded area of the cemetery where we had seen one feeding on the ground.

The area in question was a patch of grass and primroses close to some bushes and below some small trees, ideal for birds to hide away and feel safe when not on the ground or fly up into when alarmed. For us it was also good as we had a free line of sight from a handy bush far enough away to not deter the birds but close enough to allow the chance of getting a reasonable image or two.

We parted. in agreement that the seed was a good plan and in the intervening days each of us got some sunflower seed and scattered it around the grass close to the  bushes. Based on my experiences with Hawfinches at Parkend in the Forest of Dean they seem to prefer sunflower seeds which are large and easier to manipulate in their huge bills. A bill which can exert a phenomenal 50kgs of pressure, enough to crack cherry stones so sunflower seeds would not be a problem.

I could not return to the cemetery until today due to social commitments but Gareth managed to get there last weekend and guess what? He found no less than four Hawfinches including one superb male feeding on the seed.

Male Hawfinch c Gareth Casburn

For me it was a double edged sword.I was delighted that the seed plan had worked but thoroughly peeved that I had missed out on seeing the male.. Never mind it is not the end of the world although at the time it seemed like it.

On Sunday after a very nice family lunch at a pub on Christmas Common in The Chilterns I stopped off at Woodstock on the way home to spread some black and striped sunflower seeds on the grass.There was no sign of any Hawfinches but I did not expect to see any as it was getting late.

On Monday Mrs U was travelling to Cambridge, so after dropping her off at Oxford Parkway railway station at 9am  I made my way to Woodstock.

It was overcast today and very, very cold. a biting easterly wind cutting right through me as I made my way to the cemetery. It was around 9.30am when I passed through the gates into the hallowed ground and frankly I was not expecting to see anything but was very pleased to see a female Hawfinch fly up from the area Gareth and myself had seeded

There is little cover in the cemetery apart from the yews and several large box bushes so I insinuated myself into the side of a bush which gave me a direct view of the seeded patch and waited. Hawfinches once they have flown up into a tree will sit for quite some time before finding the confidence to come back to the ground. I was therefore delighted when not one but two females eventually flew down to the grass and scattered leaves to commence tucking into the seed.Soon after another appeared and so there were three and, as is usual here, all were females.

Naturally the abundance of seed meant other birds took advantage of this unexpected supply of food. Half a dozen Chaffinches and a couple of Greenfinches helped themselves while.a truculent Robin did its best to disrupt proceedings but was seen off by a Blackbird.

I did my best to take some images while trying not to make myself too conspicuous and it worked for a while but then the Hawfinches were spooked by something and flew up into the trees.

I waited but only the Chaffinches came back to join a couple of Woodpigeons and a huge cock Pheasant  feeding on the seed under the trees. When a black cat appeared I decided that it was all over for today

It was bitterly cold in the cemetery and the thought of a coffee just around the corner in one of Woodstock's many cafes proved irresistible.

Postscripts

Tuesday 18th March

I returned to the cemetery for three hours from 0630-1030 and after a very long wait two females spent ten minutes feeding on the seed at around 0930. I have always suspected Hawfinches are late risers and the experience this morning would appear to confirm this

Wednesday 19th March

An early afternoon visit on a dull day from 1330-1500 resulted in three separate birds flying in from outside the cemetery and into the yews. It is becoming apparent that individual Hawfinches rove around outside the cemetery and obviously have other places to go to feed which makes assessing just how many there are, difficult. Maybe they fly back and fore from the extensive grounds of Blenheim Palace that lies just over the road. A single female came down to feed on the seed for ten minutes just before 1500

 

Thursday 20th March

An early morning visit from 0700-0900 was really disappointing. Plenty of sightings of Hawfinches flying in and out of the cemetery but concentrating on the yews rather than the seed placed for them on the ground.I watched one feeding on yew berries for five minutes right above the seed!.

Towards the end a female came down to the seed for less than a minute but rapidly departed as a male Sparrowhawk flew overhead. I put some more seed out and left but will not be able to return until Sunday at the earliest.

.

 

Tuesday 25th March

An early morning visit failed to find any birds for quite some time. It is obvious that sometimes they are not in the cemetery at all and to prove this three flew in after my waiting for a couple of hours. In the end the wait proved worth it as we hit the jackpot when not one but two males flew down to the seed.

At one point there were four Hawfinches on the ground together, two males and two females and in total I think there are now six birds present.

Friday 4th  April

An hour and a half mid afternoon vigil finally produced one female Hawfinch at 1445 which in typical fashion dropped down unexpectedly and unsuspected from a bush above the seed. She remained for a few minutes on the ground but then flew up and despite waiting another forty five minutes never re-appeared.

This was the last Hawfinch I was to see in the cemetery this Spring.Gareth tried a couple more visits but never saw any and it looks like they have departed. 

I wonder if they will return next winter? 

I do hope so.

Frogfest in Oxford 11th March 2025

The Frogs of Lye Valley in Oxford have, as they do every year, made their way to the series of small pools that lie adjacent to the boardwalk that runs through the centre of this superb small reserve located almost in the heart of the city, there to court and lay their spawn and ensure another generation of frogs will return next year. 

From secret places under sheds, in holes, deep ditches, compost heaps, the bottom of ponds, leaf litter and hidden recesses in the undergrowth they awake from hibernation with but one thing on their mind. 

Procreation

A friend of mine, Peter had been checking the pools almost daily this last week but with no sign of any frogs had almost given up but on the weekend the frogs finally arrived and I went there on Sunday morning to find in excess of a hundred frogs present and copious amounts of spawn already laid. 

Another of nature's spectacular events had commenced.

A cold northerly wind blew down the shallow and narrow valley, a sliver of endangered, nationally important wet habitat wedged between houses and commercial buildings that encroach on all sides, the reserve only persisting courtesy of an army of volunteers who tend it with loving care throughout the year. 

Standing on the boardwalk, which also serves as a public footpath, and looking down on the pools I was very close to the boggle eyed, romancing amphibians as they lay in the water with just their blunt heads poking up above the water. Approaching the pools you hear them before you see them, as the males advertise themselves with soft purring croaks and in such numbers that the sound carries, not dissimilar to the passage of a distant motor scooter. Never harsh, this accompanying sursurrus of sound can be said to be almost soothing and puts one in a good place. A lullaby of frog sound if you please.

To the frogs my standing close and appearing so tall must be intimidating or do they notice me at all? Certainly if I stand motionless they appear unknowing but if I make any movement the purring sound they generate immediately ceases and they dive to the bottom of the pools but such is the desire to mate and get on with the business, they begin to surface in less than a minute and by remaining still I perceive a myriad of heads poking above the still water, and with swelling throats the gentle croaking recommences.

Being so close to them I could observe the frogs as they vocalised Floating in the water with head above they stare glassily as their flanks contract whilst at the same time their white throat swells and a  soft croak is emitted.At no time do they open their mouth, the croak seemingly coming from inside the distended throat hence, presumably its muffled sound.

For the most part their colouring is subdued but variable in hue and pattern; mainly shades of green or brown, some almost plain with no markings whilst others sport bars and spotting on legs and body but in breeding condition the male often becomes grey brown rather than green and the throat turns china white presumably to serve as an advertisement to females or other male frogs, especially when it swells as the frog gives voice.The frogs also vary in size, the largest individuals being females..

Some of the throng remained isolated from the main centre of action but others were more active in forming groups that tussled, grappled and barged each other in sudden movements amongst the jelly clouds of spawn.

I confess to having a soft spot for frogs,.their comical pop eyed appearance so bizarre yet countered by the subtleties and varieties of colours and patterns they present with gold rimmed eyes that in  unblinking stare seem to encapsulate a knowing wisdom. How, I wonder do I appear to them, a human skyscraper towering above on the boardwalk?

Driven by their genetic programming to an  instinctive willingness to risk all and make themselves so vulnerable, somehow evokes in me a wish to protect these frogs and ensure they remain safe in their watery boudoir. Foolish I know but compassion and sanctity of life are in distinct short supply in the world today so why not start here.

Normally reclusive and secretive as they have so many predators, it is only in these few days of breeding frenzy that you can get to see and admire them over an extended period.

I could watch their antics for hours, privileged and never feeling bored as they conduct their annaul breeding rituals in the water, barging and tussling gently in the desire to ensure another generation of frogs

When they are gone and the pools once more lie silent and unoccupied apart from the spawn I feel a sense of loss, knowing that it will be another long year before I see them again

I returned on Friday 14th March and there was not a frog to be seen

Return to Woodstock 8th March 2025

It seemed only sensible, if you are an obsessive birder, to make another early morning visit to Woodstock and my current favourite cemetery to try and catch up with the Hawfinches that are frequenting the yew trees there. This current state of affairs is unlikely to persist for much longer as the birds will soon be dispersing to breed, possibly in the extensive grounds of nearby Blenheim Palace or maybe not in this country at all but, if they are winter migrants, somewhere on mainland Europe.

Like my last visit it was a cold and sunny early morning start to secure a place to park in Woodstock's public car park and this having been achieved I was soon standing amongst the now familiar dark yews and ancient gravestones at just after 7am

Regrettably there was little sign of any Hawfinches, either in the yews or in their two favourite tall trees that stand either side of the cemetery.There were plenty of Goldfinches and Greenfinches twittering and flitting busily, in and out of the yews but that was not what I was here for.

After thirty minutes I became weary of standing and wandered down to the far end of the cemetery where a wall seals it off from the back gardens of houses beyond. In the distance, well beyond the houses was another very large tree.with a trio of what looked like Starlings on its topmost twigs. At least I assumed they were Starlings, as at such range they were mere black dots and it needed my bins to confirm the fact. Just to their left was a smaller bird also perched high up on the outside of the tree.In my bins it looked chunky but was way too distant to be sure what  it was and there was no chance I was going to claim it as a Hawfinch although I was secretely hoping it was.

What could be done? It was impossible to get closer to the distant tree and it would take forever to try and walk back into the town and locate the street where the tree was.The Hawfinch would have flown off long before.

Then it came to me

I remembered a handy trick I had learnt in such situations and by raising the camera with the lens at its maximum magnification took a few images of the mystery bird.Then by zooming the image to a greater size on the back of my camera, far greater than the magnification of my binoculars - bingo, there it was clearly identifiable by its bulky body,black bib and huge bill. A Hawfinch.

The very distant image I took of the Hawfinch, zoomed up on the computer. 

An excellent and relatively quick result, which certainly raised my spirits but would it fly to the cemetery? It was in no hurry and for a long time remained in the tree looking about and then flew down behind the houses and that was that. Gone but certainly not forgotten.

With expectations high, as often happens the outcome was, that for the next forty five minutes there was not a sign of any Hawfinches in the cemetery.I was joined by Gareth and together we stood and chatted for want of anything better to do.

Our conversation ceased as a Hawfinch unexpectedly flew across the churchyard and disappeared into a yew..It is pointless pursuing them as they always see you before you see them and are gone in a flash.We stood and waited  and another settled ever so briefly at the very top of a yew right in front of us. It was gone even before we could raise our cameras.

Yet another flew above us out of the cemetery and disappeared over the houses opposite.

We speculated how many were here which is far from easy due to their sporadic appearances and the fact we never saw more than two together.I settled for between four to six but it could have been less or even more.

Then another landed at the top of a more distant yew but allowed enough time to get a couple of images as it looked around checking, as Hawfinches always want to do, that all was well. 

It was obviously uneasy as it flew to a larger bare tree, remaining perched there for a while and allowing what one calls a couple of 'record shots' (i.e not very good) but at least we were now getting some Hawfinch action and felt all the better for that.

The bird in the tree eventually flew down into the cemetery and by some miracle of chance settled in a nearby tangle of stems and remained fully visible.

We moved closer, using the yews  as some sort of cover.The Hawfinch flew up into a yew but then flew down to the ground and commenced feeding in the leaf litter below some bushes.Its comparatively dull colouring indicating it was a female as were all of the individuals we saw. 

We edged closer, expecting it to fly away at any moment but remarkably it seemed either unaware or unconcerned about our presence and continued searching for seeds in the dead leaves. This was a golden opportunity and the first time I have ever seen one here on the ground, always assuming they were in the yews feeding on the berries.

The topography of the cemetery and where the finch was feeding was hardly conducive to any photographic masterpiece but it was a thrill to be able to watch one for minutes on end and be able to try and get a photo or two that were in focus.

You always want more and better but in situations such as this a philosophical attitude is best and I consoled myself that this was overall, a pretty good experience and far better than I had ever expected when setting off this morning..

And after all there is always another day.!