Calshot & Hawkhill Inclosure - Sun 15 Jan

I had arranged a morning away from fathering duties so that I could twitch the recently discovered Spanish Sparrow near Southampton, and was fortunate that a close friend of mine, Steve Crimp, could also make it (the other usual suspects had already been to see the bird). So we had left West Coker before 6.00am and drove down to the small village of Calshot in Hampshire, and when a Barn Owl flew over the road in front of the car as we neared Dorchester we were hoping it would be a good omen for the day!
We arrived at Calshot at 7.30am and walked from the car park back in to the vilalge and were directed to the best spot for the bird by a local birder (he also happened to have feeders in his back garden that the sparror regularly visited). By the time in was fully light and the resident sparrows were chirping away there must have been well over two hundred birders on site...but no sign of the bird we were all after. Eventually, I wandered off to the opposite side of the hedge to take a look and a few minutes later I was told that the bird was in this chaps back garden and access would be arranged in about half an hours time. Part of the garden was viewable from the road so there was soon a mad rush as everyone jockeyed for position. With the bird still proving to be elusive eventually the house was opened up and people started piling forward to get in, I didn't make the first bunch but as we were waiting outside I carefully scanned the hedgerows and struck gold! The male Spanish Sparrow was preening itself in the hedge behind us. I barked out directions and pretty soon everyone was on it, I even manged to get a 'scope on the bird so others could take a quick look before it flew off over the house and out of view. I then received many words of thanks, slaps on the back and handshakes!!
So with the bird safely ticked off Steve and I headed back west in to the New Forest and shortly arrived at Hawkhill Inclosure. As we wandered out to the clearing where another mega vagrant had been found we noted several Siskins in the trees above us and heard a Marsh Tit call. Reaching the clearing we only had a short wait before the first-winter Dark-eyed Junco popped out in the open and showed really well. I even managed to get a shot of the bird, though frustratingly it turned its head at just the wrong time!

A small flock of four Crossbills also flew in and showed really well in the trees above us. As we had promised to be back in time for lunch we returned to the car and headed back towards home.