Then I found a flock of seven Common Crossbills in a well known group of larches, where they can often be found. Usually I'd be looking for a White-winged Crossbill... Today I was quite happy to get to watch these amusing birds from a distance of only a few meters. They were on the level of my eyes (which is quite low as some of my friends would point out) on the lowest branches, feeding on the cones like small parrots.

Some birds are still on the move. A flock of  seven Whooper Swans flying west were definitely migrating. Same thing with the Common Redpolls and Siskins. I saw flocks of little under a hundred of both species.

Then I concentrated on Mew Gulls for a while and got the same lessons in digiscoping as I do every winter:
1) Don't digiscope in winter - it can't be done with gloves on.
2) If you neglect rule #1, remember to bring extra batteries - they run out fast when it's cold.