An Impromptu Ringing Session

On the last net round, about 4pm, taking the nets down there was a surprise in the nets, a female Crossbill.

The light was going as we took photographs of this spectactular bird.  They are rarely caught in mist nets as they feed in the tops of the conifers eating the seeds out of the pine cones and only come to the ground to drink.  This one was obviously heading for the back garden pond.  You can see the cross bill, some birds are right crossed whilst others are left crossed, which is ideally suited for twisting out the small pine seeds.  In theory you should be able to identify a cone eaten by Crossbills!  We have never succeeded!

They were last recorded, from the Observation Board in March 2019 and before that January, February and April of 2017.  A very special catch.

Earlier in the day we caught a Greenfinch, quite a rare bird these days.

A slightly different angle for this photograph!