Thursday 17th. October 2013

Having read reports on Alan's / Sissinghurst Birds etc. , and from Stephen Message on KOS ,  I had a quick look at the forecast for the Sissinghurst area , which proved to be better than here at home , so I set off early for the Hemsted Forest in deepest Kent , in the search of Crossbills . Driving through pouring rain on the way , I arrived about 0830 in much better conditions . Not having been to the site before , I was glad to see three birders in the distance along the main track , and headed for them across the main clearing , with half a dozen Common Crossbills , and I found out later , a Two-barred male as well . By the time I reached the three birders , the small flock had disappeared , so it was down to the waiting game . We had a few sightings , all at distance and high up in the Pines , but even with the largest lens they would have been small in the frame . Small flocks showed then disappeared , but always arriving calling . Eventually a male and female Common Crossbill settled

briefly close enough to get a shot in the top of the single Oak . Sometimes it was 45-60 minutes between sightings , but when another pair of Commons , and a male Two-barred posed together in

the same tree , it was well worth the wait . Later the Two-barred flew around the clearing , calling , and landed in the single Oak , but then the dreaded scourge of the ' twig in the way' came

into play , spoiling what would have been the shot of the day . Early afternoon proved very quiet , so I took myself off for a 45 minute walk in the area where the Crossbills often flew off to when they left . During that walk , I didn't see a single specimen , nor did I hear a single call . When I circled back to where the gathered birders were , I could see they were intently watching an area of standing water where birds had been coming down to drink during the morning . I arrived at the same time as they did , and spotted two birds in the gloom at the edge of the water . The dull one , presumably the female flew immediately , but the male stayed a few seconds drinking . I fired off 7 shots , the bird flew off , and looking at the back of the camera , it looked like a shot at night . I've lightened it up ,

but it is still poor , but could it just have been my third species of Crossbill of the day ? With that large bill , could it be a male Parrot Crossbill ? The other birders seemed pretty sure that it was a male and female drinking at the water in the gloom , and they had seen them in the trees before they flew down . I only had a glimpse of the pair in the gloom .