November 4th would be the next time I saw crossbills and even then they were distant and in a small flock. I'd met a few people in the past who said they always saw them in flocks but that hadn't been my experience, so far!
Now I know I'm seeing males and females, it's more obvious in these shots.
I was actually on my way back down the reservoir, almost at the end when I heard then saw this small flock of 9 birds in a tree near the main path so, up came the camera.
There were a few groups of people walking by on their way up but not one looked up or asked what I was seeing and the birds stayed put for me.
Crossbill rest stop
I tried to get a decent shot of the whole group even though I couldn't actually see them myself, turns out I missed one in the shot above, there was another male just above.
November 15th would give me my next encounter with the Crossbills and possibly the same small flock?
Again, walking g back down the reservoir but this time just past the first gate, coming South where the tree on the water side grow.
Mixed flock of Crossbills
How many can you see above?
Once again, they allowed me to creep closer but not much.
Male Crossbill working on a cone
I was lucky, I spotted a female pulling a cone off a branch and then trying to manoeuvre her way into a clear spot to really work on it.
It was quite hilarious watching her and she did get it to a clear spot.
Finally, easier to get at
One thing you may have noticed is the sky, the light and colour, there isn't much. Into the Winter months we don't get as many clear bright days, that can affect the colour of the birds as we see them as well.
Keeping an eye on me
What I loved about this particular encounter was the fact that the males allowed me close as well, almost a year before I'd even seen a male Crossbill
Male Crossbill
They're all beautiful coloured but that orange/red on the male is stunning.
