Hemstead Forest (24/11/2013)

I had left making this trip for a while because I hate driving around the M25, however, today I decided to go and was glad I did.

I reached the forest and a leaving birder said he had seen both my target birds this morning, so I joined another birder who had not seen the birds.

We stood around for about 30 minutes when suddenly a flock of Crossbills appeared and landed in the tops of some pines a fair way away.

I immediately got my scope onto them and almost the first bird that I picked up was the male Two-barred Crossbill.  A cracking bird with an almost glowing pink rump and large white wing bars.

I then got onto a female type Crossbill which based on the size and structure of the bill was probably a female Parrot Crossbill, although one of the guys present disagreed.  We then came across a definite male Parrot Crossbill which showed well.