A week or more has passed since I, and every other birder in south Wales, heard the exciting news that a company of Hawfinches had been found in the churchyard of St Cadoc’s in Barry. Since then, judging by the numerous posts on social media, every one of those birders has been to see these beautiful birds – or, at least, that was what I had hoped before I took my turn this morning (I’m not keen on being amongst large groups of birders all jostling for a look). But even today, though I was the first to arrive, six other birders turned up while I was there.

Of course, I can’t blame them. Up to 24 Hawfinches have been seen, flying from the churchyard’s trees to those in a nearby horse paddock, perching in the church’s tree tops, and feeding on the ground. And that’s an impressive number of these stunning birds by anyone’s count. Today, we were treated to the sight of perhaps a dozen birds feeding under trees at the far end of the churchyard.

The reason these birds have chosen St Cadoc’s is because of the many Yew trees growing around it. Though it’s too early in the year for Yew berries, there are probably seeds from last year’s berries still on the ground, and the birds seemed also to be crushing this year’s flowers in their beaks to get the tiny seeds within.

The company – the collective noun used most often for the Hawfinch, apparently – was quite skittish. I accidently sent them flying up in to the trees when I first arrived as I didn’t see them in the shade beneath the tree, and it took them 30 minutes to feel safe enough to return. Fortunately, that did mean I could warn the newly arriving birders so that we all got to enjoy this beautiful sight.