Crossbills at Wendover Woods

3rd November 2023

Back in the 1990s it was quite easy to go and see Crossbills in the south-east, particularly places like Sandringham and Lynford Arboretum. You could even see them in Hertfordshire in Bramfield and Broxbourne Woods. Then as the years rolled by they became more scarce and it is now even possible to go to Lynford for the day without hearing or seeing a Crossbill. Therefore when about 30 were reported from Wendover Woods it was impossible to resist.

The birds seemed to be concentrated in the trees by some log piles about 400 yards north of Hale Lane, and we had only walked about 100 yards up the track when I heard one and saw it land in a conifer above our heads. This was certainly a good omen, and it turned out to be a cracking male.

It then flew to a nearby tree.

Further up the track we approached the wood piles and came across a few other birders including Miguel who we had met a few years ago at Boxmoor. There were flocks of up to seven Crossbills flying over but all high and not attempting to land. Eventually two birds, both males, did land on a nearby tree but fairly distant.

Apparently they had previously been confined to feeding in three trees by the track which had now been stripped of all their cones and, although there appeared to be several trees of the same species nearby, the Crossbills seemed had found another feeding area.

Lovely to see and I never thought I would see the day when I would complain about only photographing males!!!!