First sighting of rare bird for over a century

A rare species of bird has been found breeding in Herefordshire for the first time in 140 years.

A pair of hawfinches were recorded in woodland by a local ornithologist.

Elsewhere, several pairs of tree sparrow were found nesting on a farm in north-west Herefordshire - the first breeding record in nine years.

Both discoveries were made during surveys by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust (HWT) on Local Wildlife Sites - areas of land considered particularly important for animals

The wildlife trust said the hawfinch was one of Britain's rarest woodland birds, with an estimated population of just 500 pairs in the whole country.

"These huge finches often nest in colonies so this record may indicate the presence of a previously unknown population in Herefordshire and the Welsh Marches," it said.

While not as uncommon, the trust said tree sparrows had seen a "catastrophic decline" of 98% since the 1960s, because of the impact of Dutch elm disease and modern agriculture on their habitats.

Evidence of one of the rarest types of woodland was also found alongside the tree sparrows.

Less than 1% remains of the ancient temperate rainforest which once covered much of the west coast of Britain, but a fragment was found on the same site as the tree sparrows.

The wildlife trust said it was one of the only examples known to exist in Herefordshire.

Project Officer Toby Fountain said: "As well as turning up some brilliant wildlife and habitats, this project is also revealing some of the exciting and ambitious conservation work being carried out by private landowners in the county.

"I hope this will be the basis of a productive long-term partnership between such individuals and Herefordshire Wildlife Trust."

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