The Moore-hen
Association of Satirical Birders & Ornitholigists
I assume this was part of Ian's sweep of the Chase - will be interested to see what details are posted later.
It certainly was! Finally chance to sit down and detail and epic day on the Chase...
Firstly the Crossbills - c20 were at Castle Ring around 09.45 but they quickly flew off before I could get a scope view. I managed to locate the main flock (c40 birds) by tracking several small flocks going over to a patch of larch on the edge of a clear fell. If you look on the attachment the flock were between what is labelled 'horse pasture pools' and 'horse pasture covert' basically in that 'V' of the two tracks that split off by horse pasture pools. If you come in from Upper Longdon (easier track) keep the pool on your right and take the left fork up-hill then look right after about 50-100 yards and on the right side edge of the clear fell is the larches. In amongst the c40 Crossbill are 2-3 Parrot 'types' - big billed, very thick-necked and big bodied, in fact they look like they have no neck as the head and body seem to just merge into one! I had two birds together early pm (1w? male and female type) that flew in with four other birds that looked 'intermediate' in size then myself and Graham Mant had a different? female type at c13.50. The 1w? male was quite distinctive, not just in size, but that it had a noticeable grey 'shawl' around the neck and shoulders - it kind of looked like a Pine Grozzer (if you get what I mean!). They were flushed off twice while I was there, once by a Sprawk, once by a Red Kite (that luckily Graham also saw before anyone thinks I got some acid tabs for Xmas!! :eek! but they kept coming back, so I hope it's a regular haunt. I think a few are going up to look tomorrow, so good luck...:t:
Put it this way - if all these from Budby are Parrot then there are 2-3 up The Chase too...
http://pewit.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/several-more-parrot-crossbills.html
The Diver flew high south or southwest (had to look at compass on i-phone) as I was scanning the top of the larches at Castle Ring...not exactly what I was looking to find 'scanning the top of the larches'...:-O