Looking out of the office window I could see 6 bulky birds at the top of the Ash tree. They may have been silhouettes but they were clearly something out of the ordinary. Raising my binoculars (as crucial to my office desk as the stapler, calculator, in-tray…maybe even as important as my PC) the tell-tale mix of yellow-green females and red males with black wings and crossed mandibles gave the game away immediately; Crossbills. Wanderers from the conifer forests where they breed (sometimes during the winter when food is plentiful), and use those remarkable beaks to extract conifer seeds from cones, they have fascinating vocalisations, suggesting several different species that unfortunately look very similar. DNA studies seem to show that speciation occurred recently enough that the different species have near-identical genetic material as well. Enough to occupy most birders/ornithologists for a lifetime of study; that these birds graced my garden allowed me to think about ID, sonograms, speciation, irruption, conifer forests and how thoroughly amazing wildlife can be seen all around us.