Its freezing cold and a constant dullness in light quality fills the landscape of the Brecks. Mum and I have travelled to Santon Warren today in the hope of seeing parrot crossbills that have been hanging around here in the last few months. I wanted to see them back in December, but bad weather prevented me from going and they also went into hiding as soon as the awful conditions lifted. In the last week, though, they have returned. However, now that I'm here looking for them, they are back in hiding again. Plenty of other twitchers were also wandering around the site equipped with scopes, cameras and other gear, but no one seems to know where they are. After some time searching the crossbill-less pine trees and feeling really cold, we decided to call it quits and head to Lynford Arboretum instead.
 |
| Hazel Catkins at Lynford Arboretum |
 |
| Hawfinch |
As it was still rather chilly, we only made a short walk to the bridge and the edge of the paddock where the hawfinches often perch on regularly at the opposite end of the arboretum. And, unlike the crossbills, as if on cue, a hawfinch was indeed sitting at the top of the tallest tree like an angel on a Christmas tree. It was a bit distant, but I think I got some decent enough shots of it. You can clearly see it's big powerful bill that is used to crack tough seeds such as cherry stones with ease. This bird more than makes up for missing out on those crossbills.
 |
| Nuthatch and Blue Tit |
The bridge provided more birds and with close views of them thanks to someone putting out some seed on top of one of the posts. Nuthatches, marsh tits, blue tits (lots of blue tits), great tits, chaffinches and there was even robins and coal tits that occasionally popped down from the trees, all of them happily helping themselves to the free food, though the pecking order did come into play and fights did occur now and then. Still, I managed to get quite a few photos. After the fruitless trip to Santon Warren, I was wondering if I would get any photos to put up on here at all today.
 |
| Marsh Tit |
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
| Blue Tit |
 |
| Dunnock |
 |
| Blackbird |
No comments:
Post a Comment