Seymour Birdies Diary: Crossbills and Hawfinches at Lynford Arboretum

1st February 2024

I first went to Lynford Arboretum back in 1990 to see a Two-barred Crossbill. I not only saw the two-barred but also plenty of Common Crossbills, Hawfinches and Firecrests and have been going there every winter ever since. You could see flocks of Crossbills flying over from the moment you got out of the car and during the 2016/2017 winter the Hawfinch roost reached 35 birds. Here are just a few of them.

On our last few visits we have failed to see or hear any Crossbills at all, but this year they are coming in to drink from the stream by the bridge. They fly in and settle in the tall poplars and then work their way down to the lower branches before dropping down to the water. Unfortunately, instead of perching at the highest point of the trees as they normally would, they were perching within the trees which obviously makes photography difficult with so many branches in the way. Here are a couple of shots of a male.

Unfortunately there were a large number of people on the bridge including birders, dog walkers and families so the Crossbills thought better of it and flew to another location for their drink.

The hotspot this year is the feeding station by the gate just 100 yards south of the Shepherd's Baa cafe. First up was a rather unexpected visitor, a female Great Spotted Woodpecker. Not a particularly uncommon bird, but nice to see one up close in the open and at eye level.

I've been comimg here for years but don't recall seeing Yellowhammers here before, and certainly not in the numbers today with up to eight present. A lovely bonus.