Hawfinches at East Budleigh and a Surprise Find

Just a quickie. Yes, you read that right a blog post about birds! I've been out looking at Hawfinches a few times over that last few weeks. They're not a bird I seem to have much luck with. I only got brief views at Shute a couple of times, dipped at Musbury a couple of times and last week at Colyton I spent ages staring at a tree with three in it without seeing them once. Only view I got there was when they flew in and flew out! Oh yes, and once in a distant tree. It was good to see them on the old patch though. This morning I tried for the ones that have been seen at East Budleigh church recently, the local patch of Chris from Cream Tea Birding, who it was a pleasure to meet for the first time today. Not long after I arrived four were showing well in trees surrounding the church, but as usual rather distant and I really wanted to get a decent photo of one. It didn't help that I'd forgotten my binoculars. I assumed they were in my bag but I'd taken them out at home to look out of the window and forgot to put them back. It was very frustrating relying on naked eye views as they flew into the yew trees and vanished! The weather was perfect, sunny and still but they just weren't going to cooperate. When one did show itself it was always on the wrong side of the tree with the sun behind or in complete shade. Still... 'I took what I could get'.

A typical view! 

Still it's nice to get a flight shot even a distant one.

Another typical view.

Less typically, it's quite close here and out in the open,

 but on the 'wrong side of the tree'.

I'm quite pleased with the photo all things considered.

On the way home I stopped in another churchyard that I was passing close to as I knew it had yew trees. I didn't see any Hawfinches but one of the yew trees was very substantial and looked a likely candidate for earthstars. I wandered over for a look underneath it, not expecting to find any. I usually don't. Not this time though, I spotted one straight away and after a brief search found at least twenty-five! They were all Geastrum fornicatum, the Arched or Acrobatic Earthstar. Which was nice!