Hawfinch Dip

Too late a start really. We didn't get in from Yarmouth Bird Club until after 11 last night. An excellent presentation on his 4 week birding trip to the Phillipines by club member Dr Paul Noakes. He's an excellent photographer. An overturned Morrisson's lorry on the roundabout outside Thetford didn't help either.
A lovely clear, sunny day but very cold, cheek bitingly so. Arriving at Lynford at gone 11, we spent half an hour walking the perimeter of the Paddocks, one Hawfinch had been seen soon after 10 by a single person, we saw nothing. I've never seen the paddocks so devoid of birds. Deciding to cut our losses, the return journey was enhanced by a small flock of six Crossbills and another of Siskins. A Marsh Tit called from the wood.
Lunch at St Helen's picnic site, always a pleasure. Don't know about the reported 200 Brambling but we certainly saw at least a 100. They were very easily spooked by passing trains, railway men, a dog etc but we had good views from time to time, mainly moving through in the trees.
The overturned lorry had been righted, the road south closed and a long tailback on our side of the A11. It took half an hour to drive from one roundabout to the next. Swine flu injection to-morrow.