Christine's walking & birds blog

After days of gloom, a windless bright morning called us out to the forestry walk at Loch Craggie. We'd walked for some time along the track seeing nothing but a buzzard when a rising call came from the cleared ground just ahead. I couldn't place the call, which was insistent and interrogative and pleasing. Then I caught sight of a small bird with white underparts on a dead twig not far from the ground.



We sat on a bank on the edge of the forest and ate our sandwiches - something we haven't done since our hill-walk in October (we generally retreat to the car for lunch in the winter!). Crossbills could be heard chipping, and a coal tit and two goldcrests foraged in nearby conifers. As we walked back, we saw two goosanders down on the loch - and one of them, just below the clear-fell, left a trail across the still water.


Crossbills were active near the car, and a bit further along the road I got out to take a few snaps. A crossbill landed on the ground just in front of me and astonished me so much I failed to even turn the camera on.  I thought she had possibly come down to drink from a puddle - but there was no puddle, only the signs of a dried-up one. There were six individuals, feeding in larches. The top left individual was quite a bright yellow; apparently, male crossbills can have female-coloured plumage rather than red, although I'm not sure if bright yellow necessarily means it's a male.


The only definite male I saw was fairly shy.




It was an enjoyable walk on a day that started fairly mild and grew slowly colder. If I go out tomorrow to do my usual first-day-of-the-year list I might just go back there, as I'm interested in the redpoll. However, it flew away from us towards the forest and we didn't see it again - it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack!

Monday December 30

This crossbill was seen above the Braes.


On Boxing Day I'd snapped this one which appeared to be streaky, so it may be this year's bird.