Forest of Dean

18 Jan - A morning visit to FoD in sunny but breezy conditions. First stop the Hawfinch spot at Parkend - I managed to persuade several birders standing around to get back into their cars, with the result that the Hawfinches cautiously came down onto the ground to feed, at 1 point a male was within 3 metres of the car! They are very nervous, landing in the Yews for a wary look around before they descend to the floor - and a passing walker or lorry immediately spooks then up into the trees and they take a while to return. Some reasonable photographic opportunities though. I also had a walk at Crabtree and was rewarded with good but fairly distant views of the Great Grey Shrike - also Stonechats in evidence, and flyover Crossbills, Redpolls and Siskins. Altogether a successful morning. Winter and early spring is one of the best times for the Forest, before the leaf cover makes birds much harder to find.