Lord Haw-Haw

“Germany calling, Germany calling.” An irruption of continental Hawfinches is underway. Coccothraustes, the master kernel-cruncher, is a scarce, erratic and elusive finch. And even more so on migration. But, when needs must - such as the failure of beechmast, the species staple winter food - a great flight of Haws heads west in search of favourable feeding opportunities. It is during such irruptions that they can be seen outside of their woodland realm on exploratory migration. Early morning viz migging (observing visible migration) here in north-east Suffolk has produced two Haws in as many days; my first viz mig Appelvinks (as the Dutch known them) and a new garden bird to boot.

The wandering Haws perhaps emanate in part from the Germanic populations. But, unlike the treasonous Third Reich English-voiced propagandist William Joyce, their ‘tzik’ call sign is most welcomed on the early morning airwaves.