Decided on another trip to HEMPSTED FOREST to try for 3 different Crossbills. Managed to leave home at 9am but got lost on the way there and wasted a lot of time getting back. Arrived to find 10+ people with the same idea as me and was told that should have been there 10 minutes earlier.
Most people left and I heard the call of Crossbills and 6 landed in the Oak tree one was a stunning male Parrot Crossbill a first for me. After a few minutes of preening the birds were disturbed by a Peregrine which flew casually round the edge of the woods and stopped in a close by Pine tree.
The six birds flew to distant trees and eventually flew back over our heads but the number was now 10 birds. According to a photographer one of the 10 was a Two Barred Crossbill. I decided it was time to leave as it was one better than last visit with 2 kinds of Crossbill ( better luck next time) . The Peregrine was still in the Pine tree showing very well and would have been bird of day if not for the Parrot Crossbill and Common Crossbills.
Glad you managed to get the Parrot Eddie. Hope to have another go myself when I get back.
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