Monday 31 March 2014

Two- barred or not Two- barred at Lynford Arboretum, that is the question?

On Saturday 29th John H and I went to Lynford Arboretum in the hope of seeing some Two- barred Crossbills. Initially we didn't see very much but in some Pines near the car park we heard Firecrests singing and then first 1 then 2 Firecrests were seen flitting around here flying another tree and then further back, as usual a real gem of a bird and my first sighted at this location. At 9.40 we left for a location just north of here where we parked the car half way along the road overlooking a field with a large row of trees beyond it was here that we saw 3 Buzzards and with them an acceptor almost as large, a superb female Goshawk it flew ever higher and then flew strongly right and then swooped down into the trees. Whilst behind us, another couple of Buzzards were seen and flying with them was a Peregrine Falcon Whilst looking forward first one then 2 Goshawks got up and flew towards us and over the road and then over the trees at the back before, a female Goshawk flew right overhead albeit silhouetted in the strong light. She then flew over the woods and eventually out of sight. Whilst behind us, we had been hearing snatches of the Wood Larks song, when by the edge of the field we saw the excellent Wood Lark, (my first for 2 years as I didn't see on last year) characteristically short -tailed in flight flying along the dye of the field, occasionally obscured by the trees foliage. We drove back to Lynford, looking back into the tunnel, we first saw a male and a female Hawfinch feeding at the left and right at the back. 1 Treecreeper fed by the feeders. A chap came along saying the Crossbills were seen in the trees by the woods, just before and left of the bridge. Seeing all the birders, the Crossbills around 40 seen, were eventually sighted and I am grateful for views through Dick F's and Dereham Ian's scope where I saw brief views of either the 1st winter male Two- barred Crossbill or hybrid (the same bird we had seen before Christmas) perched just left of a thick trunk. Back at the tunnel we saw up to 4 Hawfinches, feeding mainly at the back, I spent some time here and was eventually rewarded when once a bird flew to the feed to bring from the water bowl area. A Redwing was seen at the back and at the sides a Nuthatch fed at the back of the feeders. We left at 3.40pm pity we didn't stay a little longer as the 3 undisputed TBC's flew in.

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