Hawfinch 73

Hawfinch  Coccothraustes coccothraustes

The Forest of Dean where I live must be the best place anywhere for the beautiful but elusive Hawfinch. 

They usually arrive about February each year and stay on until early April.  At first their beaks are pink, but they mature in March into breeding adults with lovely metallic blue-grey beaks.

Hawfinch 70

Male portrait in early morning light.

Hawfinch 71 (slightly cropped)

A pair in deep leaves searching for breakfast.

Hawfinch 46

These are birds I love to photograph not just because they are stunning but also because they are tricky subjects, being very flighty and reluctant to come to the ground.

To photograph them at close quarters usually requires a hide, but I have also been successful just lying down motionless without any cover at all.

Hawfinch 64

Hawfinch 48

Hawfinch 50

Hawfinch 56

Hawfinch 52

Hawfinch 76

In 2010 I decided I needed to try a different angle or theme, and with the help of my good friend Ben Macdonald, a rare find was discovered - a nest with an incubating female.  We had to be very careful; not to scare the bird off on our first visit with just the above record shot to take home.  We got a nice surprise during our first visit -  the birth of a chick.  June 18th 2010.

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