Thank you Fiona, they are beautiful and treasured more because they are so elusive. I chased all over the Forest of Dean following reported sightings but didn’t see any until I discovered these birds in Parkend. Good luck with your search.
Great video. I wish to observe them better this fall/winter. I've been seeing them on tops of trees or under bushes in my garden eating cherry stones. I will try to get better photos and videos of them this time. Thank you for sharing this beautiful footage.
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it, I have to confess I’m very envious that you get to see them in your garden. They are rarely seen here and I have to travel quite a long way to have a chance of seeing them!
@@johnluk Believe me they only appear occasionally in my garden, never in the feeder though. Near my house is a hornbeam tree, they like to eat its seeds.
Id never seen one before but this year my garden feeders have attracted a lot of green finches and Siskins. I just looked out my kitchen window and saw one on the ground hoovering up the discarded sunflower seeds. One of those moments when for a few seconds you can't quite believe what you're seeing!
Amazing, they’re not normally known as a garden visiting species but if your garden is free from disturbance there’s no reason why you wouldn’t see them. You’re so lucky!
@@johnluk yeah was definitely a hawfinch. Took me a moment to believe what I was seeing but it soon flew off. Not seen it since sadly. Must have been a single stray that's noticed all the other finches perhaps
Thank you Paul. To be honest they are not easy to see. In the summer they spend their time up in the tree canopy and are hidden in the foliage. In the winter they will feed on fallen seeds on the ground, but only come down if they can’t see a human. They usually have a perch high up in a tall tree like a Hornbeam and watch other bolder birds like Robins, Chaffinches and Greenfinches feeding. Only then do they drop to ground level and are off like a shot if they’re disturbed.
Nice footage. There has been one near to me this week which I luckily managed to see. Oddly it's hanging around a busy car park at a reservoir and doesn't seem overly fussed by people, at one point it flew onto a tree about 5m away and fed contently. We think it's a juvenile.
That is incredible, they’re normally so wary and won’t come anywhere near people. Well done on that spot, I think there’s a bit of an irruption going on this year.
Hi John, fantastic video... thank you for sharing. Where was the footage in llanvihangel crucorney please, as I used to live there, and look after nestboxes in a local wood
Thanks Ken, great to hear you enjoyed it. They were in the trees around St Michael's churchyard.It seemed there was an irruption that year and they were turning up in places we don't normally see them.
Thank you Dave, nice to meet you and looking forward to checking out your videos! We occasionally get American birds here on the west coast of the U.K. and last year was particularly good because of the westerly winds. Vagrants I've seen are American Golden Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Green Heron, White-Rumped Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper but here in Wales we also had Magnolia Warbler, Canada Warbler, Black and White Warbler and Myrtle Warbler. It's always exciting to see birds that have made that incredible journey!
You are absolutely right! If they are around they scope the area from tall trees and watch all the other birds. Usually Blackbirds and Robins will drop first, then Nuthatches and Chaffinches, Greenfinch if they're around and only when they've seen all the other birds are safe do they drop to feed. Any slight disturbance and they're off!
BiRD 🐦🐦⬛🕊🌞🕊🐦⬛🐦 Bird in flight Bird of Light In the sky you shine so Bright Bird of wings How She Sings Much of joy He often brings Bird of Love Bird of Dove You bring us peace down from above Bird of Grace The Flying Ace Always brings a smile to our face
Lucky enough to have these in my garden in Sweden. They'll start hanging around the birdfeeder in late March. In Swedish they are called Stenknäck, which literally means "stone cracker". 😎
Thank you so much for that interesting information. The idea of having them visiting the garden is just a dream for me, in the U.K. they are quite rare and as far as I know don’t visit bird feeders. Lycka till! 😊
@@johnluk I should add that that my house is basically "in the forest", so that might be a reason for them attending my feeder. I also checked some stats, and the inventory in Sweden is around 17,000 individuals.
Your location sounds wonderful, Hawfinch aren’t seen outside a woodland environment so it’s perfect for them. We only have 3,500 to 4,000 residents, more join them in the winter because it’s a little milder than Scandinavia.
@@johnluk Yes, it's the same with the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus, called Pilfink in Swedish, lit. "arrowfinch"). I've never seen them in an urban envoirment, only near woodland. The House sparrow fills the urban niche, at least in Sweden, where they are absent in rural areas.
thank you for the interesting footage. However, the title is a bit misleading as there is so much other birdsong in the background one can't tell what noise comes from the Hawfinch. It would help having footage of the bird whilst it's making the noise
Hi Chris. I totally agree with you! That would be my ultimate ambition. Unfortunately I’ve had no views of one calling so I could only present the sound. I believe they are more likely to call during the breeding season, when they spend their time high in the tree canopy and are even more difficult to see. If I do ever achieve such footage I will re-edit the video!
ToriShime that’s wonderful! In my experience Hawfinches are very wary and I have only observed them from a distance. Fabulous to hear one call in your own home! Thank you for your kind comment, have a great weekend.
Sorry you were disappointed Lucy. The section with the call is clearly flagged from around 3:30. I could have detached the ambient sound from previous scenes and replaced it with sound from that section as a soundtrack to the video or just had a much shorter video of only the call section, but as Hawfinches are our most elusive finch I thought viewers would like to see them with the actual sound of their environment. Unfortunately unlike my other bird call videos where you can actually see the bird singing all of the Hawfinches called when they were concealed in the tree canopy.
I don't know where you live Paul but the best place for me has been Parkend in the Forest of Dean, although the winter before last there was an irruption of European birds and they were turning up all over the place. People tell me they have had success in Fforest Ganol and Fforest Fawr near Cardiff but I had no luck myself. One thing is sure you have a better chance of seeing them in the winter. In the summer like a lot of seed eaters they will feed themselves and feed their young on high food value insects and spend most of their time in the tree canopy. In the winter they can be found ground feeding particularly under Yew Trees. My main tip is find a likely spot and use your car as a hide. They are the wariest bird I know and will head high ito the tree tops at the least disturbance, get out too luck with bins and they are off. Stay in the car and they will come within a few feet!
Paul Hayward: the Lane running between the cricket pitch and the Yew Trees right in the centre of the village. Best places are either just as you turn off the road or the little car park where the Yew trees go round the corner. Scatter some sunflower seeds although chances are somebody else will have beaten you to it. Good luck!
Thanks! the tree top ones were from the churchyard behind the Horse and Jockey pub in Llanvihangel, Pontypool and trees behind the Gwent Wildlife Trust offices in Dingestow. The ground based and mid-tree ones were from Parkend in the Forest of Dean. The one with the bird drinking was from the Bruce Campbell hide in the RSBP reserve in Nagshead.
Sorry to hear that mate, hope it’s not a problem that will prevent you getting out in the future. Parkend is still the best place to see them as you can see them best by remaining in your car and using it as a hide.
john l uk Thanks. Bad health, skint, broken equipment that I can't afford to repair or replace, house falling down - apart from that, everything's great! Never mind - I'll experience nature vicariously through your videos and others'!
![Yeat & Quavo - 5BRAZY [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4XxnTAwyxus/mqdefault.jpg)
Great footage, no annoying music, informative captions. Please take my like as a token of appreciation.
Thank you so much, good to know my work is appreciated!
Gorgeous footage ! Never seen a hawfinch but I plan to this year. They’re incredibly beautiful birds!
Thank you Fiona, they are beautiful and treasured more because they are so elusive. I chased all over the Forest of Dean following reported sightings but didn’t see any until I discovered these birds in Parkend. Good luck with your search.
Great video. I wish to observe them better this fall/winter. I've been seeing them on tops of trees or under bushes in my garden eating cherry stones. I will try to get better photos and videos of them this time. Thank you for sharing this beautiful footage.
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it, I have to confess I’m very envious that you get to see them in your garden. They are rarely seen here and I have to travel quite a long way to have a chance of seeing them!
@@johnluk Believe me they only appear occasionally in my garden, never in the feeder though. Near my house is a hornbeam tree, they like to eat its seeds.
Id never seen one before but this year my garden feeders have attracted a lot of green finches and Siskins. I just looked out my kitchen window and saw one on the ground hoovering up the discarded sunflower seeds. One of those moments when for a few seconds you can't quite believe what you're seeing!
Amazing, they’re not normally known as a garden visiting species but if your garden is free from disturbance there’s no reason why you wouldn’t see them. You’re so lucky!
@@johnluk yeah was definitely a hawfinch. Took me a moment to believe what I was seeing but it soon flew off. Not seen it since sadly. Must have been a single stray that's noticed all the other finches perhaps
Came from @Morten Hilmer Live stream to check for more Hawfinch details. Beautiful. Thank You.
Thank you Sarah! 🙏Great to hear you enjoyed it.
Lovely footage, I have spent a great deal of time in the countryside during my life, I have never come across a hawfinch.
Thank you Paul. To be honest they are not easy to see. In the summer they spend their time up in the tree canopy and are hidden in the foliage. In the winter they will feed on fallen seeds on the ground, but only come down if they can’t see a human. They usually have a perch high up in a tall tree like a Hornbeam and watch other bolder birds like Robins, Chaffinches and Greenfinches feeding. Only then do they drop to ground level and are off like a shot if they’re disturbed.
Nice footage. There has been one near to me this week which I luckily managed to see. Oddly it's hanging around a busy car park at a reservoir and doesn't seem overly fussed by people, at one point it flew onto a tree about 5m away and fed contently. We think it's a juvenile.
That is incredible, they’re normally so wary and won’t come anywhere near people. Well done on that spot, I think there’s a bit of an irruption going on this year.
Hi John, fantastic video... thank you for sharing. Where was the footage in llanvihangel crucorney please, as I used to live there, and look after nestboxes in a local wood
Thanks Ken, great to hear you enjoyed it. They were in the trees around St Michael's churchyard.It seemed there was an irruption that year and they were turning up in places we don't normally see them.
Excellent video, new friend here. I do a lot of bird videos here in the eastern USA (Virginia)
Thank you Dave, nice to meet you and looking forward to checking out your videos! We occasionally get American birds here on the west coast of the U.K. and last year was particularly good because of the westerly winds. Vagrants I've seen are American Golden Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Green Heron, White-Rumped Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper but here in Wales we also had Magnolia Warbler, Canada Warbler, Black and White Warbler and Myrtle Warbler. It's always exciting to see birds that have made that incredible journey!
Excellent video John - thanks.
Thanks for the feedback Bill, glad you enjoyed it. Sorry you've had to wait for a reply!
Beautiful bird😃👍
Yes they are! Thanks for your visit. I see that you have them on your feeder, I !don't think they do that in the U.K.
It’s the British songbird you’ll never see. They vanish into the trees.
You are absolutely right! If they are around they scope the area from tall trees and watch all the other birds. Usually Blackbirds and Robins will drop first, then Nuthatches and Chaffinches, Greenfinch if they're around and only when they've seen all the other birds are safe do they drop to feed. Any slight disturbance and they're off!
Just got one of these guys on my window to eat some seeds from a cup. Never seen this bird before. He seems to shy and nervous for his size.
Wow that's amazing, they are not very common and normally very nervous and keep away from people. You're so lucky!
BiRD
🐦🐦⬛🕊🌞🕊🐦⬛🐦
Bird in flight
Bird of Light
In the sky you shine so Bright
Bird of wings
How She Sings
Much of joy He often brings
Bird of Love
Bird of Dove
You bring us peace down from above
Bird of Grace
The Flying Ace
Always brings a smile to our face
Yes they do! 😊
Lucky enough to have these in my garden in Sweden. They'll start hanging around the birdfeeder in late March. In Swedish they are called Stenknäck, which literally means "stone cracker". 😎
Thank you so much for that interesting information. The idea of having them visiting the garden is just a dream for me, in the U.K. they are quite rare and as far as I know don’t visit bird feeders. Lycka till! 😊
@@johnluk I should add that that my house is basically "in the forest", so that might be a reason for them attending my feeder. I also checked some stats, and the inventory in Sweden is around 17,000 individuals.
Your location sounds wonderful, Hawfinch aren’t seen outside a woodland environment so it’s perfect for them. We only have 3,500 to 4,000 residents, more join them in the winter because it’s a little milder than Scandinavia.
@@johnluk Yes, it's the same with the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus, called Pilfink in Swedish, lit. "arrowfinch"). I've never seen them in an urban envoirment, only near woodland. The House sparrow fills the urban niche, at least in Sweden, where they are absent in rural areas.
Beautiful video John!
Thanks John!
I spent years trying to find one… go to France slightly earlier then I usually do… look outside the window… and there it is.
You’re so lucky, they’re not a bird you see often in the U.K. as you know. Maybe it’s different in France.
@@johnluk I believe it is, they are probably more common here.
thank you for the interesting footage. However, the title is a bit misleading as there is so much other birdsong in the background one can't tell what noise comes from the Hawfinch. It would help having footage of the bird whilst it's making the noise
Hi Chris. I totally agree with you! That would be my ultimate ambition. Unfortunately I’ve had no views of one calling so I could only present the sound. I believe they are more likely to call during the breeding season, when they spend their time high in the tree canopy and are even more difficult to see. If I do ever achieve such footage I will re-edit the video!
I adore birds)
So do I! I hope you will watch some of my other videos Irina, there are some beautiful birds on those.
They would be quite ordainary wthiout that fantastic bill.
You’re right! I guess their sheer rarity means they’re always a sought after bird.
Ngoại trừ cái mỏ nhìn hơi thô tí xíu thì những chú chim này rất xinh đẹp. Đẹp và dễ thương ! 💖
Cái mỏ đó có thể bẻ gãy một quả anh đào hoặc một viên đá ô liu, nó rất khỏe. Chúng là một loài chim rất đặc biệt nhưng khá hiếm và khó nhìn. 💖
My hawfinch (I adopted him cause he has a bad leg) makes different sounds, also metallic but louder, especially when he calls me. Great video :)
ToriShime that’s wonderful! In my experience Hawfinches are very wary and I have only observed them from a distance. Fabulous to hear one call in your own home! Thank you for your kind comment, have a great weekend.
beware to those of you watching this to learn what hawfinch sounds like it - the soundtrack is other birds, mainly robin!
Sorry you were disappointed Lucy. The section with the call is clearly flagged from around 3:30. I could have detached the ambient sound from previous scenes and replaced it with sound from that section as a soundtrack to the video or just had a much shorter video of only the call section, but as Hawfinches are our most elusive finch I thought viewers would like to see them with the actual sound of their environment. Unfortunately unlike my other bird call videos where you can actually see the bird singing all of the Hawfinches called when they were concealed in the tree canopy.
Wheres the best place to see them john?
I don't know where you live Paul but the best place for me has been Parkend in the Forest of Dean, although the winter before last there was an irruption of European birds and they were turning up all over the place. People tell me they have had success in Fforest Ganol and Fforest Fawr near Cardiff but I had no luck myself. One thing is sure you have a better chance of seeing them in the winter. In the summer like a lot of seed eaters they will feed themselves and feed their young on high food value insects and spend most of their time in the tree canopy. In the winter they can be found ground feeding particularly under Yew Trees. My main tip is find a likely spot and use your car as a hide. They are the wariest bird I know and will head high ito the tree tops at the least disturbance, get out too luck with bins and they are off. Stay in the car and they will come within a few feet!
@@johnluk thanks john I live in Bristol and come over to goldcliff quite often
@@johnluk where abouts in parkend do I need to go john?
Paul Hayward: the Lane running between the cricket pitch and the Yew Trees right in the centre of the village. Best places are either just as you turn off the road or the little car park where the Yew trees go round the corner. Scatter some sunflower seeds although chances are somebody else will have beaten you to it. Good luck!
Paul Hayward let me know if you see me in Goldcliff! It’s great now that the tolls are off that we can commute over. The river without being taxed!
Excellent footage, John. Never even seen a Hawfinch myself. Where were these filmed?
Thanks! the tree top ones were from the churchyard behind the Horse and Jockey pub in Llanvihangel, Pontypool and trees behind the Gwent Wildlife Trust offices in Dingestow. The ground based and mid-tree ones were from Parkend in the Forest of Dean. The one with the bird drinking was from the Bruce Campbell hide in the RSBP reserve in Nagshead.
john l uk Cheers, John. I gather there's been a bit of an influx to south Wales this year, but unfortunately I've not been able to get out to see any.
Sorry to hear that mate, hope it’s not a problem that will prevent you getting out in the future. Parkend is still the best place to see them as you can see them best by remaining in your car and using it as a hide.
john l uk Thanks. Bad health, skint, broken equipment that I can't afford to repair or replace, house falling down - apart from that, everything's great! Never mind - I'll experience nature vicariously through your videos and others'!
BadgerBotherer1 Sorry to hear that BB, really hope things get better for you this year.