SUNDAY 17/11

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.

Wednesday 13/11

Phil Sharp and I had not seen the 3 Crossbills in Kent and decided that today will be the day we tried. After meeting at Sissinghurst at 10 am we drove to the Forest , arriving we were told that 10 minutes earlier the Common and Parrot Crossbill were showing well. After a short while there was a fly over of Crossbills which landed in a nearby tree. Scope gave good views of Common Crossbill and what was possibly a Parrot Crossbill.
After an Hour + flyovers were observed but no great views. After all other birders had left we were lucky to have 5 land in the tree in front of us including a stunning male. No sign of Two Bar or Parrot. The woods were devoid of birds only Great Spot , Blue / Great Tit and Pidgeon , Robin flyover Fieldfare.  Considering the date 2 Butterflies and 2 Dragonflys were seen. Return back over the marshes I found the first Bewick Swans of the winter at Midgley Drying sheds.