Slower than I anticipated but...

Red Kites circling at Harewood

So this winter hitlist thing so far hit a stumbling block. In fact so has any kind of bird watching as a whole. My final year of university and all the work that goes with it means that I'm busy Monday to Friday and Sunday as well. Saturday I go to volunteer at Harewood, which is so far my only link to the natural world...

But alas last weekend the cycle was broken! I returned back home for the weekend and went on a bird walk around the National Trusts Clumber Park with my local group. The forecast was Crossbill with an outside chance of Great Grey Shrike that looks to be wintering around the Sherwood area and was seen a few days previously.

We saw some Crossbills and got absolutely cracking views of a red male using his bill to pries open cones. Superb.

And of course, no Great Grey Shrike. That space on my life list remains empty...

However one was filled on that day...

Colin the Crow's latest escape attempt...

As we walked through the woods it became apparent there was a large gathering of birds flitting round a Beech tree (the experienced birders might have already guessed where this is going). When we were able to get a view it turned out there must have been 20+ BRAMBLINGS in the tree!

Now I don't remember whether I've explained this before but technically I have seen a Brambling, but I didn't see it. What I mean is that I had a silhouette of a small Chaffinch sized bird fly over my head and a very experienced birder telling me it was a Brambling by the fork in its tail. However this time I actually saw a Brambling, lots of them! In glorious colour and everything! So I can now put them down on my list without any feeling of guilt. Marvelous.

Finally, in true blog style... I have no pictures of any of this... I really need a good camera.

Not something you often associate with Leeds...  Beauty.