The firecrest at Love's Copse has been present for at least three days now and has been continuously singing and so is easy to locate. This is an unusual species for this area and time of year (and is a treat at any time) and is worth going to look for if you have the time. I cannot find a record for firecrest in the Aldbourne parish previously.
Firecrest is a brighter cousin of the familiar goldcrest, who is very lovely in its own right. The firecrest has a very conspicuous eyestripe (absent in goldcrest) and when it flits into a shaft of sunlight it has a golden patch over its shoulder. The song is similar to a goldcrest but clearly different and learning the two songs will be very helpful if you go looking for this bird (there are lots of singing goldcrests in the wood as well). If you want to learn more about both crests then the BTO identification guide to these species is a great start.
Let us know if you see this lovely bird and do get in touch if you wanted pointers to finding it.
