I don't know if you noticed or remember me typing, a few times, I have yet to see a male?
October 11th 2023 and I'm standing by the first gate where there are usually a few Bullfinches, when a small flock of birds landed in one of the trees. I looked up and they were Crossbills AND a mixed flock, including males!!!! At last!!!
Now, I know I have typed before that these birds seem to vary quite widely in colour so I wasn't sure about them at first but, I'm pretty certain that bird in the centre is a male! Party time :)
I grabbed a few shots before they moved off, only to a small group of trees a few yards away.
I think you can see these are definitely redder birds?
See, they didn't move far, luckily. A couple out walking had come up to me and carried on walking by, which scared them off but, in that shot above, you can definitely see different coloured birds.
Crossbill male, at last!
Crossbill male ignoring me
I'd managed to walk up to where they were but they didn't stay long, who cares? I'd finally spotted and photographed a male bird .... or two!
You may also have noticed there's been quite a gap! April to October? I hadn't seen any Crossbills at all in that period, I'd also been on holiday, visiting the folks and other things which kept me away from the reservoir but, I was back and happy again :)
I did see a female bird very briefly on October 17th but that was it for that month.
Female Crossbill
Female Crossbill
