Coccothraustes coccothraustes, hawfinch, kjernebiter

The Botanical Gardens is a good spot for bird watching during winter. The variety of tree types, and some bird feeders, attract a wide variety of bird species. And, not least, bird enthusiasts:

One of the birds which is exotic, but still fairly easy to spot, is the hawfinch. About ten individuals have been staying in the park. Here is how you usually see them, sitting in the very top of the trees:

Nikon 1 V3 with Nikkor CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 at 300mm, f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 400.



With the big head, very strong bill, and short tail, they are easy to identify from a distance.

They often feed in groups. One of the food sources is tree sprouts, as in this picture:

They have also been feeding off the fruits of a crabapple tree. They tend to eat the core of the fruit, and leave the rest for the fieldfares:

The hawfinch is generally very shy, and is only seen on the ground to drink water, or to collect seeds, and always close to a tree.