A quick trip to Ogden tonight to see if any gulls were down after a heavy passage all day, mainly LBBs with 3 Herring gulls and 4 Black Headed plus a single Common at midday all >SW, some very high.
Only 4 LBBs were on the water plus the 2 Gt Crested Grebes right in the middle as always so desperate for a photo I reluctantly went up to the Tree Pipit area where of course there was nothing, these Pipits must retire early evening. Luckily one of the dogs, Ollie, found me a Crossbill, or rather they found him. As I was looking and listening for pipits Ollie let out a yelp when a pine cone clouted him in the middle of the back and within minutes cones were coming down like coconuts.
Two crossbills could be seen right at the top of the tree and several others were flying in though very hard to find. About 18 were in the two trees with several juvs, at least I forgot about the Tree Pipits.
BS