Parrot Crossbills

Photographic opportunities have been pretty scarce of late, not for the want of trying I hasten to add. Several trips to our local haunts around Pagham Harbour have been less rewarding than usual, Cissbury Ring, normally a banker for a Ring Ouzel was almost devoid of birds on at least two visits. So, when the chance to record some really photogenic Parrot Crossbills arose it was a no brainer. The venue, Swinley Forest just north east of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst at a site with the quaint name of Wishmoor Bottom.


No apologies for the amount of photographs - I haven't managed to blog for some ten weeks so I have an itch to scratch.

Medmerry gave us some great views of a juvenile Glossy Ibis.

A Grey Plover and a rather shy Common Sandpiper in Pagham Harbour were recorded in desperation.

Finally not a bird but the aptly named Dog's Vomit Slime Mould found on the top of Cissbury

Parrot Crossbills

 

Today was a third attempt to locate the Parrot Crossbills at Old Lodge in the Ashdown Forest, yesterday we had missed them by a matter of minutes because we left early in fairly miserable conditions. So, in perfect weather, we turned down a day at Dungeness for a chance to see what is a fairly scarce bird in Sussex. Halfway through the day I was beginning to think that we had made a mistake, all we had seen was a pair of Ravens arguing with a Buzzard. Plenty of birders were in attendance and as soon as the birds finally turned up word spread and everyone had excellent, though brief views of a flock of at least ten birds. We chased the birds, expecting them to be in the area that they frequent over on the north east side of the reserve, again a kind birder raised the alert and this time the birds hung around much longer, allowing great views and, for me, some mixed quality photography. However, I suspect that in the flight across the reserve the Parrots were joined by more than one Common Crossbill.

Crossbills are always difficult  as they more often than not remain high in the trees at a distance and what appear as good shots on the camera are invariably lower quality at home. Still a nice year and Sussex tick - we can always do Dunge next week.

Possible Common Crossbill??

 

And a usual suspect.....

Parrot and Two-Barred Crossbills

I have to admit that today's photographs are pretty poor but I make no apologies for including record shots of two life ticks. The day dawned very wet and windy and Martin and I were determined to go somewhere, particularly myself as I have been deprived of birding for nearly a week.

We could have gone to twitch the Semipalmated Plover at Hayling Island or searched for the Great Grey Shrike at Ambersham. In the end we decided that a visit to Hemsted Forest in Kent was the order of the day, several Parrot Crossbills and a single Two-Barred Crossbill had been showing well lately. Thus we set off in heavy rain but with a promise that it would be dry by late morning and a possible hint of sunshine by late afternoon. 

On arriving at the car park the news was half good as the Parrots were to be found easily. Well that was assuming that you had half decent eyesight. I am not sure what was wrong but I found it difficult to pick up the birds in the poor light. However after half an hour it became much easier to find them but they were very difficult to photograph. We counted a total of six but none really showed well.  I did notice that one of the males, on several occasions, flew back to a calling female and passed food to her, obviously a well bonded pair getting things sorted out early.



Bigger head, bigger bill and thicker neck - a Common Crossbill on steroids!!

 

After a brief break for lunch we relocated to the ride and set up opposite the oak tree, after what seemed an age a flock of about a dozen Common Crossbills alighted in the top branches. Rather than try to locate the bird I just pressed the shutter release repeatedly trying to capture all the birds before they departed. Sure enough as I moved the viewfinder on to the last bird I could see the white bars plainly, and then the birds were gone. Soon after the birds returned to a tall pine just in from the car park and a "flock" of birders managed to single out the Two-Barred with most people getting a distant sighting. Martin hadn't picked up the bird when it was showing its bars so we waited for the fairly mobile flock to return and finally success for him too. A great day out and perhaps a chance at the SP later in the week - if it hangs about.