Mar 102012
Red & Green Flashes before my eyes.
Spent the morning in the north of my county, calling in for Hawfinch at Cromford and eventually saw 3 – 4 birds very well. You simply can’t get enough of these stunning finches. Several Dipper were nest building along the river. Up onto the moors and several Goshawk hunting & displaying, a fine sight. A good flock of Brambling were at a traditional winter locality, about 100 all together with chaffinches, feeding on beech mast.
Spent several hours at a drinking pool along Flash Lane in Matlock Forest and we soon had small numbers of Siskin and Lesser Redpoll coming down to drink. Suddenly a flash of red amongst the yellow & green and a male Common Crossbill arrived to take a drink. It didn’t stay for long but what a thrill to see one of these birds at close quarters. Being seed eaters, finches have to drink at regular intervals, to help digest their food,so a large puddle in the forest is an ideal place to wait and watch. Not a bad morning…
IMAGES – No1: Blue Tit / No:2 &3 Common Crossbill – male / No:4 Lesser RedPoll / No:5 Long-tailed Tit / No:6 & 7 Siskin -male.
