Crossbills: Rare Birds Visit Hatfield
This afternoon a flock of 30 crossbills were seen feeding upon tree top pine cones in Hatfield Park.
An early Scandinavian cold snap may have triggered the birds south to over-winter in the area.
Crossbills, are a type of finch and, as their name suggests, they have a crossed beak which they use to prise apart cones to get at the pine nuts inside. They are reddy / brown in colour and a bit larger than a sparrow.
Sightings of other interesting birds can be viewed on the Herts Bird Club website.
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