February 25th 2023 and off to Backwater Reservoir again. We’d been SO lucky last time to see a beautiful female Crossbill right next to us in a small pine tree, surely I’d find her or more again?
Once again it was freezing, it is February after all and in Central Scotland but, yet again, a beautiful morning with a clear blue sky, hence the freezing cold maybe? 😊
I got a few shots of birds as I strolled up the road again, a pair of Bullfinches popped up in front of me. Of course, I wasn’t ready and only managed a very poor shot of the female. Must carry the camera not leave it in its holster!
There’s a plethora (great word) of Chaffinches, Blue Tits etc, a few Siskins round and feels almost Spring like.
As I rounded the first bend I spotted a woman standing in the road, binoculars trained up the hillside, must be something interesting?
I asked her what she had as I got closer, she pointed out a Crossbill in a small pine, just up the bank.
We both got a good few shots and I started to climb the bank slowly, trying to get closer, using other small pines to cover my movements.
She was sitting up nicely looking around and calling.
Creeping closer worked too, she stayed put as we worked our way slowly up the bank.
We were both getting closer, the bird was getting twitchy, keeping an eye on us, probably thinking “look at these two, trying to sneak up on me” 😂
You can see in all of those shots that she’s fairly happy sitting there but watching us move closer however, there’s always that moment when you’re too close and off she went.
We clambered back down to the path again and the lady went her way back, I carried on up the track. I hadn’t gone far when I spotted a bird in a pine next to the track.
I started getting some shots when I noticed, there were two of them! I whistled and shouted to the lady who was still in sight and she ran back.
It was great to be this close to two birds quite happily feeding next to the track, one of them hopped out onto a clear branch for a few moments before they both flew away.
It really is quite a thrill to be able to get so close to this beautiful wee bird and for it to allow long enough to get shots.
Again we parted ways and I headed on up the path, spotting a few other birds as I went but it was on my return walk, from the first gate, towards the picnic bench area, that I heard then saw birds in the trees.
There was a Siskin in the same tree right next to her, both munching away on pine cones.
You get some idea of the size comparison, the Siskin is quite a bit smaller then the Crossbill.
Off they went and so did I, back to the car and head for home.
I came up to the reservoir at least three times in February and these sightings were all on the same day, to give you an idea of how often I walk here and see these birds, not every time 🙂
It would be early March before I saw them again.
Scozmo's Photery 