Wednesday 6th November: Sherwood Rough

 We had an early start for Sherwood Rough this morning, which proved to be a mistake, as when we arrived at our destination it was shrouded in mist. There was plenty of bird activity, but it was difficult to identify the smaller tits and finches in the dreadful light. Mistle Thrush and Redwing were easier to make out, and the Merlin app confirmed Goldcrests calling, but we just couldn’t get any detail on the birds. It was very frustrating.

We skirted the chestnut coppice and eventually arrived at the open clearing where we have found Hawfinches in the past. They like to sit at the top of trees, but today we couldn’t even see the tops of the trees!!! We wandered down towards a small pond, and managed to find a close Great Spotted Woodpecker here, but little else. Next we headed towards the Pheasant pen, another area where we have historically found them, and finally I spotted some sitting in a distant tree. Sue had her scope, and we could just make out the huge bill and buffy chest, but the views were very unsatisfactory. Redwings and Greenfinches were here too, and there was plenty of bird activity. Suddenly the mist lifted, albeit if not for long, and we soon managed to locate a few Hawfinches in the nearby trees which showed really well in full technicolour at last! 

This was a new annual tick for us all, so we were pleased that our patience paid off and we were rewarded with a worthy sighting. Sadly, no photos though.