Grey Squirrel Beeley and the RSPB report on understanding Hawfinch declines

I admit that I am not a great fan of the Grey Squirrel. They predate young birds and are a nuisance around bird feeders. I had also convinced myself that they were a significant factor in the loss of Hawfinches in the Darley Dale area.

Grey Squirrel

Twenty years ago I regularly saw Hawfinches flying over the woodlands neighbouring my garden and I found displaying birds in the immediate area but sadly the number of sightings steadily declined and it is now three years since I last saw one around Darley Dale.
Fortunately the winter flock at Cromford Meadows still survives and there are usually a dozen or so birds there each winter.
The RSPB has recently reported on a study conducted between 2012 and 2016 to understand the national decline of the Hawfinch. During the study they managed to find and monitor over 50 nests and whilst this is the start of a longer term study I was surprised to read the following;

Nest monitoring has revealed the number of young birds hatching and fledging as well as causes of nest failure, which have included poor weather and predation by jays, crows, goshawks and great spotted woodpeckers. Interestingly, there have been no recorded instances of grey squirrel predation despite them being common within the study woods.

So, I may have been a little unfair on the Grey Squirrel, at least in respect of their impact on Hawfinches.

Sat waiting for the Dusky Thrush, which only showed for 10 minutes during my four hour vigil this morning, I couldn't help smiling at the antics of this Grey Squirrel feeding on apples in the orchard.

RSPB 2016: Understanding Hawfinch declines

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Via Gellia

Very windy overnight and so far today. Started on the moor but with some rain as well it was hopeless. Over to Carsington but couldn't locate the Great Northern Diver on very choppy water and back by the Via Gellia.
The feeders had plenty of birds around them, this Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Great, Blue and Coal Tits.
Up to the late 90's the Via Gellia was one of the Derbyshire strongholds of the Marsh Tit but they appear to be entirely absent from this area now and are largely restricted to the dales of the White Peak including Monsal and Chee dales although I have yet to find them in either.
Grey Squirrels were also taking advantage of the feeders.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - male

Grey Squirrel

Grey Squirrel - Bent Lane

I took this photograph of a Grey Squirrel yesterday but have spent today photographing Red Squirrels with James, Ali Hood and James Shooter near Hawes in North Yorkshire, on the Snaizeholme Trail, I've put a few photos on  my Flickr site. I'm sure that James and Ali will have more photos on their web site shortly with an account of the day which was quite eventful.
The Red Squirrel disappeared from Derbyshire in the late 1990's from it's final recorded location in the Upper Derwent Valley, ironically the increase in Goshawk populations was thought to be one factor in their final demize. The Grey arrived in the 1940's and is widespread throughout the County, I occasionally see them in the few birch trees on the very edge of the moors.

Grey Squirrel