Black and Grey in Harwood

Tod Knowe looking towards Tutehill moss

Redpath

Huge numbers of Crossbills all over the forest

An uncommon fungi Conifer Mazegill.on felled Pines at Chartners

I started at Harwood Head and biked into the forest. It turned into a very good birding day but the weather was a bit dull and not good for photographs. First stop was Tutehill moss, one of my favourite spots and riding along the track before the pull in on the right a Great Grey Shrike flew over the track being mobbed by a flock of Siskins. It flew from the lower pines on the right to the higher ones on the left of the track but I couldn't see it again. I went back to the corner where the grassy areas are and looked up towards the mast when I noticed 2 dark birds near the fence to the right. They turned out to be 2 male Black Grouse. I stopped for a coffee in the pull in and looked around again and looking towards the large conifers towards Redpath the Shrike was on top of one of them but it flew over the lower conifers and back over the track in almost the same spot as I originally saw it. I then biked over Hemmel hill and down to Chartners where I saw a Peregrine and a Goshawk (separately) circling above the forest. There were lots of birds around with flocks of Chaffinches and Mistle Thrushes, Siskins, hundreds of Crossbills and several Buzzards. I returned to the car via Tod Knowe where harvesting of timber has opened up this area and Tutehill moss but couldn't see the Shrike again.