February 25th 2023
It was just about a month later that I got my second sighting of the Crossbills at the reservoir.
I was walking up the track as usual and spotted a lady up ahead, stopped and looking up the bank at something through binoculars so when I caught up with her I had to ask, "what are you seeing?"
A female Crossbill on a pine tree further up the bank.
Crossbill female on a pine
I started taking shots and told her I was going to try to work my way closer.
Crossbill female in the breeze
We both worked our way up the bank, there are lots of young pines scattered on the bank to give us a bit of cover as we tried to get closer. I think you can see in that shot above that she is watching us.
Keeping an eye on us
The shot above is cropped in but we did get quite close
You can see in all of those shots that she's fairly happy sitting there but watching us move closer however, there's always that moment when you're too close and off she went.
WE clambered back down to the path again and the lady went her way back, I carried on up the track. I hadn't gone far when I spotted a bird in a pine next to the track.
I started getting some shots when I noticed, there were two of them! I whistled and shouted to the lady who was still in sight and she ran back.
Two females in a pine tree
It was great to be this close to two birds quite happily feeding next to the track, one of them hopped out onto a clear branch for a few moments before they both flew away.
It really is quite a thrill to be able to get so close to this beautiful wee bird and for it to allow long enough to get shots.
Again we parted ways and I headed on up the path, spotting a few other birds as I went but it was on my return walk, from the first gate, towards the picnic bench area, that I heard then saw birds in the trees.
Female Crossbill and Siskin
There was a Siskin in the same tree right next to her, both munching away on pine cones
Female Crossbill and Siskin
You get some idea of the size comparison, the Siskin is quite a bit smaller then the Crossbill.
Off they went and so did I, back to the car and head for home.
I came up to the reservoir at least three times in February and these sightings were all on the same day, to give you an idea of how often I walk here and see these birds, not every time :)
It would be early March before I saw them again.
