A Twitch this morning to The Lodge at Sandy, with a lifer on offer.
On arriving on site I was met with the classic line 'Yes it was here 5 minutes ago showing very well'
I took up my place in the already almost full hide and waited. A Blue Tit then a Great Tit came down to the feeders outside. Half an hour passed. A Blackbird and a coupleof Chaffinches visited the drinking pools. A Great spotted Woodpecker flashed past. A pair of Crossbills landed close by, but this was not our target. Three quarters of an hour and a Nuthatch stole a nut from a feeder.
Then after about an hour the call went up 'They're there' and yes in a tree maybe 50 yards away were a flock of around 20 smallish birds. Crossbills everyone of them, but on closer inspection one bird a female was slightly smaller and stood out from the rest in that there were 2 white flashes on it's wings - a TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL !!. We all enjoyed views of this mega-rareity - apparently the first record for Bedfordshire since the 1890 s.
The flock flew around for a bit and came and settled in another tree. They never did come down for a drink, maybe they could sense all the people in the hide.
Not the longest wait for a bird I've had by a long shot, but as always quite tense until it actually shows, but more than worth it in the end.
Well done Rob. I'll have to get down there again in the week I think.
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