Another Stockport Birdwatching Society run to Cromford arriving at around 9am with high hopes for Hawfinch considering frequent recent sightings. This was borne out with up to 5 birds showing after only 10 minutes or so. They were in the tree tops on the ridge behind the Castle, perching up sitting still for minutes at a time, viewed from the river bridge. Also seen were 2 Dippers, 2 Peregrine over and Fieldfares feeding on the fields by the rugby pitches.
I got a lovely scope view of a single Hawfinch in the sun a bit later, what a great bird.
We headed on to Carsington Water, see other thread for that update
27 members and friends made it down to Cromford yesterday on the Stockport Birdwatching Society coach trip, 5 Hawfinches were seen with supporting cast of Stock Dove, Redwing, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk on the hillside and Kingfisher, Dipper and Grey Wagtail on the river.
Excellent day, next coach trip on the 16th March to Cors Caron & Bwlch Nant yr Arian in Wales. Should be quite a spectacle for Red Kite.
All welcome, further details: https://stockportbirders.blogspot.com/
Peak forest Junction on Canal Goldcrest posed for a photo, Little Grebes, Siskin, Grey Wagtail several, Nuthatch and a Water Vole also coming over the Snake and back over Woodhead 6 Road kill Mountain Hares rather sad but reflective of a larger healthy population.
Hawfinches on view yesterday both in the car park under the beech and in the churchyard opposite. Got some really good photo's from the car despite misty conditions.
Well done Ollie, really pleased that you connected with them - like me taking 2 visits!! I too found that the early birder definitely gets the bird in this instance. It's a cracking little site & I have persuaded another birding pal to head out there with his family over then next few days.
I too saw Raven, Buzzard & Goldcrest but well done on the Sparrowhawk too. Local birders do seem to be really helpful here, I chatted away to numerous folk who advised me, as a first time visitor, on the best spots for the Hawfinch & Dippers
All in all well worth a visit & it really is closer than you may think initially!!
On the prompting of 'the good Doc', I made for Cromford yesterday.
Arrived 10:30. The weather was glorious and there were plenty of birders around - and plenty of recent reports of Hawfinch, but no Hawfinch.
Met local birder Glyn Sellors, who kindly toured me around likely locations, without success. He suggested the best bet was to try again in the morning, but get down much earlier.
Whilst wandering around, saw: -
2 Buzzard circling, also a couple of low-to-ground sightings, including flushing one from the churchyard opposite the entrance to the Rugby Club 1 much smaller raptor, which a fellow birder identified as a Sparrowhawk 4 Dippers 1 Goldcrest 2 Raven
Returned this morning, arriving 8am. Several other birders were in the rugby club car park.
After about an hour, a Hawfinch flew in but then quickly out of the tree described by Doc.
One of the other birders then found two Hawfinches in trees just past the toilet block, affording good views for those with telescopes. We were able to track them for a few minutes as they moved from tree to tree in vicinity of the toilet block, before they disappeared again.
Only a brief sighting, but well worth the early start!
Popped over to Cromford near Matlock for my 2nd time this week, a cracking little site if anyone is looking for places to go in days out in Derbyshire. An earlier start than my 1st visit ensured that I connected with the speciality here - Hawfinch. There is a winter feeding flock of these birds around the Rugby Club car park (free parking!) and the churchyard opposite. After 9am the birds become ultra-elusive as the car park fills and dog walkers abound. A local is putting seed down under the large beech tree (1st tree on R.as you drive in) so avoid parking too close to this area. The birds feed on the ground very early am and are then reliably seen in the trees until about 9am (weekdays - i am told weekends can be busier & it's harder to see the birds).
The river nearby has at least 2 pairs of Dipper which this week are showing well and singing their heads off, this info is freely available so is not a site that needs to be withheld. The river also holds Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and I had a pair of Goosander flying down this morning.
As I say it's a cracking place in a picturesque setting and with the bonus of a difficult to see target species being relatively easy to see!!
-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Friday 9th of March 2012 02:57:37 PM
