I finally got round to looking for the Common Rosefinch at Melbourn in Cambridgeshire. Thankfully it was still around and on my arrival at 05:30 was in full song already. Unmistakable call as soon as I was out of the car. It was still favouring the gardens of Foxfield House and 'the barns', but giving limited views but it did alight the tops of the bushes lining the road. On occasions it ventured out into the crop fields opposite but would soon return unnoticed and once again give itself up by calling. None of the resplendent colours of a adult male but as I had only ever seen a bright male years ago this was a welcome addition regardless of how plain looking. Getting there so early I missed the morning traffic, that built up soon enough, and also the sunrise gave the bird a lovely glow, too orange at times, but it seemed to rejoice singing and sunning itself never stooping for more than a minute. I called it a day a few hours in as the sun moved round and the bird favoured the gardens more, a good local jaunt for me.
