Yes. Birders and psychiatric institutions - it's a marriage made in heaven. So I was sat at work this morning, idly marking a bunch of essays, and a quick look at BirdGuides suggested there was a Hawfinch in the grounds of Cornhill Hospital, in the trees by the crane at the new development. Hang-on-a-mo, wondered I... don't I work next door to Cornill? Didn't I walk past that crane this morning ? (Well, no actually, i had the car today, but that isn't the point). So picked up my bins and had a quick march down the road to Cornhill. Ooooh, it's so peaceful... I love the deliberate atmosphere of calm, the open spaces, the way everyone assumes you're just a wandering patient and is very careful around you. I never want to leave - you can't make me leave!

But you can make me dip. Or at least, I did, in that the bird wasn't there. Mind, it was a full scale building site. I know Hawfinches aren't as timid as people sometimes suspect, but surely they draw the line somewhere.

Btw, if you haven't been here recently, you should.