2 Bar X-bill, Waxwings and Let it Snow Bunting?!!

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lovely cuddly Snow Bunting

Mr Hague and a Snow Bunting

Waxwings

Waxwings again
One of John's photos of the
Two-barred Crossbill.

Another early start as I picked up John at around 5.30 am and we drove north to North Yorkshire and Cleveland to see if we could photo the long staying Two-barred Crossbill and good numbers of Waxwings.
Arriving at Bilsdale, just south of Stokesley we parked the car next to the main road, and then walked up the farm track. As we walked up the track towards Grafitts Farm it started to snow as had been predicted the previous day. Although the snow shower was short lived, it was still bitterly cold and temperature would stay the same all day just above freezing.
Standing by the farm buildings we had to wait about half an hour before the Crossbill showed itself to the small crowd. John took a few distant shots of the Crossbill as it fed in the nearby larch trees.
Whilst photographing the Crossbill, John received a phone call from Steve Lister to let us know that he had re found the "reported" Snow Bunting at Beacon Hill back in Leicestershire.
Moving on to Middlesborough and checking out Skipper's Lane Industrial estate, it wasn't long before we found a flock of 45+ Waxwings feeding on the nearby rowan trees.
Over the next hour the flock flew around the industrial estate and we got some excellent photos of the flock.
As the Snow Bunting was a good bird for Leicestershire we decided to drive back to Leicestershire, so after driving for a couple of hours we reached Beacon Hill.
We checked out the summit but we couldn't find the bunting, so decided to split up and check other parts of the hill.
After a few minutes of searching John then almost stood on the bird as he walked down the left hand track.
With such a confiding bird we tooks lots of photos of this cracking Snow Bunting and finished off an excellent day birding.
Thanks to John for supplying the photos of the Two-barred Crossbill and Snow Bunting.

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