A Couple Of Hours Escapism.

My couple of hours of escapism on Thursday started at Conder Pool - well where else! - which was pretty much deserted, save up to three visits by the Kingfisher, quite fidgety and moving from it's perch, to the sluice, then to the pontoon where it spent a while before moving on again. 

I didn't even get around to counting the Little Grebe on Conder Pool today, and moved on to Glasson to view the estuary, where the returning vanguard of waders to note were, 220 Curlew, 65 Black-tailed Godwit, and 34 Golden Plover, also a contingent of up to 450 Greylag. Amongst c.400 Black-headed Gull, I found 9 Mediterranean Gull, all were adult save one 2nd winter. 

On Jeremy Lane, the farmer was in a field with his tractor spreading slurry, he was attended by at least 3,000 Black-headed Gull, amongst which I found another 7 Mediterranean Gull. At Cockersand I had only the time to walk from the Lighthouse Cottage to Plover Scar, but was rewarded by finding 2 Wheatear.  

Crossbills.

Crossbill Male. Simon Hawtin.

Following my fortune to find Crossbill at Birk Bank 25 September, I dug out my list of sightings to find I have had just eight over the years. With the exception of one all have been in Bowland, this was 28 years ago in Cumbria and was the most interesting encounter with Crossbills of them all. Below is an account of what created the interest....  

In the late-spring to mid-summer period of 1997 there was an exceptional influx of Crossbills into the North West Regions of Wales/Cheshire/Lancashire/Cumbria and including the Isle of Man, and a total of 1,340 birds were seen at 43 different sites. During this period some long staying Crossbills were at Helsington Barrows near Kendal in Cumbria where John Leedal and I visited on a few occasions, one of which held up to a spectacular 50 Crossbills. John took several photographs over the visits and some of the results developed into something of much interest to us.

Crossbill Female. Ana Minguez.

Eventually I was in touch with an expert in the field and made some comments in an initial letter which read something like...'Through his photographs John Leedal and I have realised the presence of a male individual which displays it's odd distinctly yellowish feathers. In one picture this bird is perched next to a female Crossbill which gives the opportunity to compare and appreciate the greyish-green upperparts of this male, but the main features noted were the distinct yellow crown and mantle, the vent was also distinctly yellow and notably lacking in notches'....

Although 1st winter males are variable in plumage detail, this Crossbill was in due course featured in an annual report in which it was referred to as a possible xanthachroistic male seen on five visits to Helsington Barrows showing yellow feathering around the body, with some hint of red, with the exception of the mantle, back and upperwings which are coloured as female.  

Over the years I've come to appreciate some adult males can resemble females as opposed to being mainly reddish, whilst others appear distinctly orange in tone. Even 14 years on in 2011, this Crossbill at Helsington Barrows in 1997 remains intriguing to me.

Thanks to Simon and Ana for their much appreciated images.