I'll keep it short.
After a lot of persuasion I managed to convince my parents for a walk in the area where 300+ Hawfinch have been seen. By the time we got out it was later than hoped, but we got there around 11ish.
So up to 300 were seen just yesterday by many birders, who have enjoyed a spectacle of them - a feeding frenzy if you will, in large flocks near Bramblehall Wood. I walked all along the area, looking and listening out, excited at what I would find - i've never experienced a Starling murmuration let alone a Hawfinch one. Juniper Top and Juniper Bottom drew Hawfinchless. As for Bramblehall...
I saw none.
This is the most disappointed I've been since missing the Greater Yellowlegs, which had been at Titchfield Haven for months, by 2 days in 2015.
The only positive is that despite not seeing a single Hawfinch I did finally tick my Marsh Tit - 4 were seen - 2 singing - in the time I was there. It should have been longer, but for whatever reason we had to go. I would've spent a week there if I could - either way I missed the chance to see such an occurrence - I have no idea when I'll next be allowed to go. Probably once they've moved on.
So I'm probably the only local birder in Surrey to not have seen the Hawfinches in the South Downs. Thankfully all other birders have enjoyed them with the last few days being visited by many.
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