The irony - only a few miles from home (and 61 million seconds)

In a recent post about my trip to David Whistlecraft's photo hide I called crossbills a bogey bird.  My views had been mainly in Scotland, and always in the high treetops, so whilst I was realistic about the chances I did hope to finally see them more closely in Norfolk.  Not to be, though.

After driving all that way it came as a true delight then just 8 days later to have 3 appear in front of my lens at my old favourite woodland puddles.  When I first went to the puddles crossbills and hawfinch were the hoped for species.  Hawfinch I saw in year 1, but it's taken 708 days, 16992 hours, 61 million seconds (don't you love websites) for the crossbills to appear.

 I think they are cracking birds, although Kay was less impressed - "Is that it?"

 As always the light was a bit awkward, but it's a start.

 This is a quite heavy crop, but it looks good enough on the web.

More views in the woodland puddles album HERE.  Now 24 species snapped and one which evaded the memory cards (a group of young crows).