Bullfinches

Following my visit to Pulborough Brooks yesterday I decided to revisit today to try to improve on my Bullfinch records. Any doubts I had regards my plan were soon dissolved by the posting, on SOS,  of a sighting of Waxwings just outside the visitor centre, a nod is as good as a wink. I arrived at the car park just before 0800 and the frantic wavings of a birder meant that the birds were present, unfortunately not for long, disturbed by Crows they departed around 0820 and were not seen again. Then the weather took a dramatic turn for the worse, heavy rain/sleet and a very chilly wind set in. However, I decided to hang around and after about an hour and a half things brightened up a bit. Martin had arrived, no doubt encouraged by the possibility of Waxwings, and as they had gone we made another attempt on the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker all to no avail. Martin departed and I stayed hunting Bullfinches. The males were almost obliging but any females remained very reticent about breaking cover. I notice that several specimens were showing what appeared to be symptoms of the papilloma virus.

Full supporting cast of the usual suspects: