Brian and I made an early start and were at Santon Downham before 07.30. A walk from the road to the new wooden bridge and back revealed very little: a couple of Great Spotted Woodies, a Little Egret and both Song and Mistle Thrushes. We crossed the road and, from the iron bridge, immediately saw two pairs of Mandarins. A short walk gave us excellent views of a species I failed to see last year! Near the car I picked out the silhouette of a Crossbill: a male, as it turned out.
A ten-minute drive found us at Mayday Farm, where, after a stroll along the gravel track, we settled down by the small, man-made pool. The cool breeze and lack of sunshine didn't bode well, but in the event we spent an amazing hour, with close views of Siskins, Redpolls, Goldcrests, Coal Tits and - best of all - Crossbills and a couple of Brambling! We finished the day just south of Norwich, adding Ring-necked Parakeet to the year list - photos tomorrow!
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