Close encounter with Hawfinch!

Stumbled on this cracker this afternoon at Rose Hill where everyone had a rare close encounter with a Hawfinch

  It was not until mid-morning that I got to to the hides at Lower Moors and got a first for my in the shape of a 2 Pochard showing well! 2 Hawfinch flew NW and ten minutes later, at the Standing Stones Field, both birds flew over heading SW. There were also Bramblings and Siskin overhead and up to 3 Yellow-browed Warbler and 2 Siberian Chiffchaff in the area.

These Pochard were a first for me at Lower Moors

  Doing taxis to the airport and the 2 Black Redstart were knocking around the car park. Mid afternoon, I had a look around Rose Hill and as I was walking a track into the fields, I kicked a Hawfinch. It flew into the Elms and immediately returned to where I had just flushed it! For the next ten minutes it was a crazy bird as it kept bouncing closer towards me until it was almost at arms length! I kept still but after a few minutes I realized that it was not concerned of my presence and carried on cracking Elm seeds with it's huge powerful bill. An awesome experience of such a amazing bird!! I let everyone know about the Hawfinch and it continued to show well into the late afternoon. There were also a 2 Yellow-browed Warbler and Firecrest in the area.
  I finished the day off at Borough Farm where the Radde's Warbler continued to at very close range. When I arrived, I found the warbler on call and after a few minutes it made it way through the Elms at eye level until it was, like the Hawfinch, almost at arms length  aaway!!

Altogether I saw up to 7 Yellow-browed Warbler today including this one at Rose Hill

What a crazy Hawfinch!!

And a crazy Radde's Warbler!!

Elsewhere on St Mary's, there were the female Bullfinch at Higher Moors and a Lesser Whitethroat at Lower Moors. Hawfinch were seen a number of places on the island in ones and twos.

Viv Stratton made a visit to Tresco and got a female Goldeneye on the Great Pool. Also there were 3 Yellow-browed Warbler, Yellow-legged Gull, and 5 Firecrest.

On st Agnes there were a single Hawfinch and Short-eared Owl