Shetland Two Barred Crossbills- major invasion

We have had a major invasion of Two Barred Crossbills over this past month or so. The first group i saw was down at Sumburgh, then over on Burra. But on neither occasion did I seem them for more than a few seconds.

Word came out late yesterday that a party of six Two Barred Crossbills had been found in bushes beside Clickimin Loch in Lerwick. Too late for me, as they flew off soon after, but by Sunday afternoon they flew back to the same area

Its always been one of my photography rules to stay with the bird for at least 10 mins but most birds fly off well before this. However, these Two Barred Crossbills stayed in view for nearly two hours. More or less in the same few bushes.

Over the past couple of years I have been treated to great views of Parrot and Common Crossbills in Lerwick which used the same conifer tree near Quoys.

These Two Barred Crossbills decided to feed on Alder catkins, these stay on the tree all year round. They also eat the seeds of Spruce, Birch and Larch and have been seen eating caterpillars

These have the smallest beak of  all the Crossbills, the male Red coloured , the female Yellow/Green while the juvenile brown with streaked. Adults have two wide white wing stripes on each wing while juveniles have thin wing bars with white on tertials

For most of the time these birds were silent as they fed continuously, while the Burra flock were very vocal.

These are very rare, irregular migrants from Finland - Siberia with 8- 10 birds per year (Britain's Birds)ID guide. Crossbills tend to breed early in the year and often migrate August - October.

This year has been a major invasion, the largest ever in the UK

Totals for each site

4 7 19 Skerries  - 2
8 7 19 Unst (Norwick) 1
8 7 19 Unst (Baltasound) 4
9 7 19 Unst (Baltasound) 1
9 7 19 Unst (Halligarth)  3
9 7 19 Muckle Roe (Busta) 1
9 7 19 Sumburgh Head 2
10 7 19 Muckle Roe (Busta) 4
10 7 19 Whalsay - 8
10 7 19 Fair Isle - 9
11 7 19 Unst - 6
11 7 19 Yell - 4
11 7 19 Sumburgh Head 7
12 7 19 Unst - School 6
12 7 19 Unst Halligarth 7
12 7 19 Trondra (Glendale) 3
12 7 19 Bressay - 2
12 7 19 Voe - 20
12 7 19 Watsness - 6
13 7 19 Yell - 3
13 7 19 Lerwick - 2
14 7 19 Ocraquoy - 2
14 7 19 Bressay - 2
14 7 19 Hillwell - 2
14 7 19 Stromfirth- 16
15 7 19 Stromfirth - 18
15 7 19 Trondra (Glendale) - 8
15 7 19 Sullom - 1
15 7 19 Yell - 3
16 7 19 Trondra (Glendale) 6
17 7 19 Noss - 2
17 7 19 Unst - 2
17 7 19 Lerwick 2
17 7 19 Trondra brig - 2
18 7 19 Whalsay(Sodom) - 2
18 7 19 Whalsay (Symbister) 6 in addition to above
18 7 19 Unst - 3
19 7 19 Unst - 3
22 7 19 Unst -2
23 7 19 Trondra - 2
23 7 19 Yell - 8
23 7 19 Whalsay - 3
28 7 19 East shore - 1
30 7 19 Aith - 2
1 8 19 Unst - 2
2 8 19 Weisdale- 3
5 8 19 Unst 3
6 8 19 Unst 1
8 8 19 Hoswick - 1
10 8 19 Unst - 1
10 8 19 Clickimin - 9
11 8 19 Clickimin - 6
11 8 19 Fetlar - 1
11 8 19 Scatness - 1
11 8 19 Gairdins o sands 1
12 8 19 Clickimin 7
12 8 19 Stromfirth 7
12 8 19 Catfirth 5
13 8 19 Clickimin 4

So well over 185 individuals have been seen in Shetland so far this year up to the 13August . This species has only been recorded in the last 20 years and there has only been four other years when numbers have reached double figures, the last largest influx was 43 in 2008 (Nature in Shetland). Up to this year the total birds recorded in Shetland was 156

Shetland remains the best place to see this species

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