Went to the Dam End and walked along North Bank footpath to the Hornbean wood just beyond the picnic area. My perseverance paid off. At 14:45 I found a Hawfinch, which looked like a male, sitting at the top of an Ash tree. It was distant and the light was poor. But I had good enough views through my telescope to confirm that it was a Hawfinch.
Also seen:
1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, c45 Redwing.
A quick look at the Gull roost gave 500+ Black-headed Gull, 50+ Herring Gull, 40+ Common Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull. When I left Gulls were still coming in but the light was too poor for identification and counts.
I have attached a photo of the view from the picnic area toward our recently-cleared area on the South Bank where the new reed bed is planned.
