Forest Crossbills In The Sun

17th September 2019

Yesterday the weather was a little grey but today the forecast is for some better light so the plan is to spend the morning trying to improve on yesterdays images before heading back op norf. It's dark when I leave the house and on arrival there's already a couple of photo togs on site all the way up from Surrey which betters my ten minuet effort by about three and half hours !

Parking in the usual location it's coffee time and a chat with the goings on in Surrey. I'm always interested in what others get up to in any case there's a lot of waiting involved for the anticipated midmorning arrival of the Crossbills. Its a great morning with sun and blue sky's which I suspect is a factor in encouraging more people arriving, its becoming very busy.

Whilst waiting we entertained with masses of birds befitting from a free meal of seed put down by previous visitors, tit's, finches, squirrels, Jay's, Buzzard and even a Pied Wagtail are regularly visiting.

It's now 11.0 am the time the Crossbills usually visit and everyone is keenly looking and listening for a tell tale twitter, overhead someone spots a Crossbill then the twittering starts and the anticipation builds, initially the birds are cautious then one bird drops to the puddle and the rest follow....its all action.

Trying for the low shot to reduce the background clutter I'm loosing the birds drinking in the depression of the puddle so I have to shoot a little higher, its always a compromise further more the sunlight is now a little harsh but at least there's some colour reflection in the water.

The action doesn't last that long maybe only ten minuets and the Crossbills are gone, back into the forest with only a couple more visits of single birds for the remainder of my visit, so its a final chat with a couple of FOD regulars I call time.

Happy I made the effort of the lightning midweek trip and always good to see my mum its time to head up the motorway to pack ready for some birding in the sun.

Happy birding all

Crossbill

Red Male

Yellow Female

Forest Crossbills

16th January 2019

Over the last few weeks there's been a number of great images appearing on various internet sites of a group of Crossbills visiting puddles on tracks in the Forest of Dean which I'm keen to photograph, but first there's the small task of finding out where the birds are visiting. I don't always like asking sighting locations as sometimes people just want to keep it all to themselves so generally I don't, so reading various posts and with my local knowledge I soon recognised the location.

I'm due to fly out to Murcia on the weekend so its a quick couple of days midweek in the FOD to say hello to my mum then I'm out and about. The weather this morning is overcast and grey but at least its dry, my first task is to get there early grabbing a prime spot, I can't imagine what the weekend will be like probably chockablock in any case I'll be in the sun by then.

Crossbills due they're diet need to drink regularly to aid digestion and once they find a water source they are pretty much a regular visitor to the same location around the same time, the information I've read suggests the birds arrive around 10.30 am so that's the plan.

It's a ten minuet drive arriving just as it's becoming light, unbelievable there's two car already here...dedication ! now the waiting. Bang on the time the Crossbills arrive as predicted, twittering in the trees overhead, the first bird lands at the puddle and drinks and the rest follow, its all action with the birds only staying a short time so you have to be quick.

All too soon probably only ten minuets the action is over the birds not returning for the remainder of my visit up and until 12.30 pm, with no immediate prospect of the birds returning I call it a day.

Tomorrow's another day..

Crossbill

Red Male

Red Male & Yellow / Green Female