Sitting in the garden at Prestwood after lunch, I was awoken from my power nap by a new sound emanating from the spruce trees bordering the garden, bins were to hand but still too far away to confirm my suspicion, so a dash to the van and scope was rewarded by great views of a stunning male COMMON CROSSBILL.
He seemed agitated and flew to the other side of Peterley wood, possibly to another clump of Norway Spruce and Scots Pine. Looking round many of the trees have a good crop of cones so hopefully Crossbills will be back (Richard Billyard)