Crossbills at Affpuddle

Common Crossbill male - Affpuddle Heath, Dorset UK 16.3.26

2026 is looking like being a good year for Crossbills here in Dorset, UK. The Common Crossbill is a scarce breeder in the county, but can occur in greater numbers during 'irruption' years. It's a species that I have had little luck with. Despite regular reports of the birds being present at a particular site near Affpuddle, three previous visits all drew blanks.  So I wasn't too hopeful about this morning's trip - but it turns out that my fortunes had changed.

Affpuddle forest - Crossbill country

Affpuddle Forest (strictly Affpuddle and Moreton Forest) sits on a low ridge separating the valleys of the Rivers Piddle and Frome in West Dorset. Formerly heathland, the area has been extensively planted with conifers, mostly Scots Pine. Several open areas remain, largely grassland dotted with Gorse bushes. Part of the land is managed by Forestry England, and has open access, while other areas are crossed by public footpaths and bridleways. Car parks are provided at Culpepper's Dish, a surprisingly large sinkhole of some geological interest, and on the B3390 south of Affpuddle village. 

I parked at the second of these and started walking eastwards towards Culpepper's Dish. It was about 0830 in the morning, and there was sporadic birdsong in the woodland: mostly Robins and Siskins along with a distant lone Yellowhammer. A small group of Long-tailed Tits flicked past.

Reaching the stand of trees pictured above I noticed some movement high in the canopy. Several birds were feeding on pine cones while others flew between the tree tops in small groups of two or three. Even at some distance I could see that they were Crossbills: rather chunkier than most other finches and showing flashes of red (males) and a dull yellow (females). Every now and again a larger movement would see ten or more birds flying to another tree. They were very mobile, but never went more than around 50 metres from my original sighting. 

It was a dull morning with a light drizzle, and the light wasn't great. I was resigned to only getting distant treetop views, when a small group flew down and sat obligingly in a smaller pine tree , dotted like Christmas decorations (below).

Common Crossbill group - Affpuddle Heath, Dorset UK 16.3.26

Even better, one male flew even closer and perched on the top of a leading shoot right next to the road (below). Despite the gloomy conditions, his brick-red colour stood out.  

Common Crossbill male - Affpuddle Heath, Dorset UK 16.3.26

The lack of cones on these smaller trees suggested that the birds had dropped down to get a drink, so I  stationed myself at a respectful distance from a suitable puddle (below). There are no shortage of these at the moment; Dorset has had a memorably wet winter.

Crossbill refreshment opportunity

It worked - and I'd picked the right puddle. Around 15 Crossbills dropped down into a couple of Silver Birch trees next to the track, visible at first only as silhouttes (below).

Common Crossbills in Silver Birch

It wasn't long before they began to drop down for a quick drink. Both males ...

... and the rather less showy females:

All in all, I estimated that there were at least 20 individuals present, although there could have been more. I never saw the entire group at once. This is a good number: the most recent Dorset Bird Report (2024) lists 'significant counts' as being 10 individuals or over, and there are only three records of as many as 20 for that year. It looks likely that 2026 will be rather better - we shall wait and see.

Reference

Dorset Bird Report 2024 - Dorset Bird Club (published December 2025)