TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL!

17/11/13

Having already dipped on the 2 reported 'Two-Bar's' in the Forest of Dean the previous week, and their extreme rarity this far inland/South-west a repeat visit was already on the agenda. However, they weren't seen again for the majority of the week.

However, the day before the planned visit to try for the Great-Grey Shrike which was also present, news emerged of a mega flock of 17 which of these stunning northern trumpeters had re-appeared, the largest flock of this rare eruptive species in modern history!

Anyway, the Forest looks stunning at this time!

Needless to say, the next morning a fair gathering had gathered. An early morning report increased my optimism while driving down but upon arriving on site it emerged that these birds were infact Chaffinch's! And from there most hope seemed to drain, after a couple of hours standing 'near' to the increasingly noisy twitchers, and with not a sniff i got fed up and went to look for the Shrike. A circuit of Crabtree hill and surrounding area's failed and we reluctantly returned to the crowd.

"Any sign?"

"No"

"Ok, bye"

And so i walked off down the track.

We walked off at a complete tangent to everyone else and ended up on the track immediately to the west of the 'main' track where the crowds were waiting. At least i was searching for them rather than most of the gathering!

(Later i learned that after 10 minutes of leaving the crowd 2 separate flocks of 3 and 8 Two-Bars appeared!)

I failed to locate any of the target species but soon the track opened onto a clearing, and at the back of that clearing stood a stunning GREAT-GREY SHRIKE!

It wasn't particularly showy however, and i didn't try to approach it, so only some distant photos.

Great-Grey Shrike are somewhat of an icon of winter birding for me, and it is always great to catch up with this species perching sentinel over its winter territory.

After a good time watching the Shrike, and having a flock of 10-15 HAWFINCH pass through the tree's behind us which was a great bonus we decided to head back to the crowd.

We approached from the Crabtree hill side to be told that only minuites before there had been a couple in the trees above them!

Bollocks!

While i was informed about this the group a hundred or so feet away frantically waved us down. A second passed and i realized they were still watching them!

A quick jog- a hard task i wellies- and one of the birders put me onto a male and female TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL perched up on the top of a dead conifer! Awesome!

Both of the birds wing bars were massive and so obviously not one of the 'wing barred' Common Crossbills that seem to be reported as Two-bars across the country this winter. The male in particular was completely outstanding, with its body colour being very different, a very attractive raspberry red/pink. Not wanting to hog the birders scope (Who turned out to be 'Username' off Birdforum) i started to set up my own, and just as i set it down, a Common Crossbill landed next to them, and they flew off deeper into the plantation. Another hour and not a sight not sound and we decided to leave. Happy that i had gotten both my 'target species'.

MB

A little bit of Wyre birding

9/02/13
A trip into the Wyre was needed as so far this year i had not bothered looking for the Hawfinch's. But today that would be rectified.

The walk out to Lodge Hill was extremely quiet, such is the way that birding in the Wyre goes. Some days your surrounded by a hive of activity, others nada.
While just heading up the track i raised my bins to see a female HAWFINCH sitting on the bottom edge of a hawthorn bush, before dropping down a few seconds after not to be seen again. While waiting for the bird to fly up again (which it did not), one of the residents of the farm walked past, and upon entering the garden flushed a LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER off the feeders, another hoped for year tick! The bird flew directly over our heads and flew into the tree's to the north of the orchard, and sadly disappeared  While looking for it again, we had many Nuthatch. A Marsh Tit  made its way through the bushes in  the orchard before quickly moving on. 3 Finches landed upon one of the taller trees in the area, and a look at them revealed them to be 3 BRAMBLING (2 Male).
Moving back alone the railway line, we were treated to stunning views of a female Goldcrest (1 of a pair) down to about 6 feet!
MB

The Wyre Hawfinches

26/12/12
With the year drawing to a close, a few local sites were covered just to give a final homage to the past year, and what could be better than spending a few hours on a bridge in the Wyre Forest.

The reason for this? A Hawfinch had been seen, and as the species is lacking for the year, the short trip would make a nice distraction from the horrid Television for a few hours. And to cut it short, 2 HAWFINCH were showing while we were there, including this bird which perched up fairly close briefly, look at that brute of a Finch!

Always worth the effort to see, Hawfinch is always a species i regard of highly. To think this bird has the bill strength to break your finger is outstanding!

MB

Officially Awsome!!!!!- Continued

25/02/11

Wyre Forest

with the morning with the waxwings having passed, we decided to head into the wyre again, to try and find a lesserpecker.

Unfortunatly we dipped on the pecker, But there was some decent birds around,

4+ HAWFINCH were in the Orchard, and being generally quite annoying sitting far away in trees, or flying out of sight very quickly. i did try to get some photos but they are terrible so i wont even put them on,

A party of 6 BRAMBLING was in the beech trees around the orchard, and show well, if briefly, further along the railway line we found a flock of 50c Lesser Redpoll, but they were very flighty due to a barking dog, and i couldnt really scan them, 20 mins waiting and we left.

following this we had a walk along dowles brook, where we quickly stumbled upon apair of DIPPER. we stood on the track next to the brook, and were treated to superb views of the pair ( one in particular) as then fed in the brook.

At the small frog pool's at the bototm of dry mill lane, there was a pair of Mandarin swimming, about, another check for lesserpecker failed and we left.

MB

Wyre....

1/1/11
Wyre Forest

after paying only 2 visit to the forest last year, and missing out on every!!!! decent summer bird, i have planned to visit a few times over the year to 'mop' up those missed species.

and what a way to start the year (and the decade non the less) with a nice few hours standing in the middle of the forest at a clearing looking for a certain bird.

we parked in at the dry mill lane car park where we met the photographer Bob Heart, we walked up the railway line with him picking out MARSH TIT and GOLCREST for the masses of common birds, BULLFINCH, TREECREEPER and NUTHATCH were noted before we reached where we had all come to walk, we viewed the feeders but there was little more of interest than what had already been seen, although a REED BUNTING dropped on, i looked north towards the bridge and i knew i had the birds i was looking for straight away.

2 HAWFINCH (lifer 213)

these birds very quickly dropped down into the trees and we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and eventually, 4 birds popped up, then dropped down and after another 15 mins the flock again popped up and a 5th bird had dropped in.

5 HAWFINCH, they remained skittish, mobile and elusive throughout the 3 1/2 hours we waited, only getting about 10 mins viewing time in all of that.

The light was terrible, the birds were quite far off most of the time, and they never really remained in one spot for to long, althought the birds in the video below were there for about 2 mins.

3 LESSER REPOLL dropped in trees briefly and a RAVERN cronked over.

MB