Things are really starting to liven up now at the drinking pool. It was a really good session this morning with comparatively lots of birds. The most interesting was a very brief visit from a male crossbill that immediately left without drinking. Unfortunately, there was a loose dog that charged in towards me and right past the pool scattering the birds in all directions. There are deer here, including very young fawns as well as the birds and I wouldn't have thought it was acceptable for dogs to run free and uncontrolled?  The Crossbill, which was just about to drink and was perhaps the first of it's group to come down, then immediately flew back up into the high trees. I have seen Crossbills now an each of my last three visits,  not coming  confidently but definitely interested in the water. Probably in with the flock of Crossbills was the Siskin above, another small finch that feeds in the same way as the Crossbills and probably needs to drink just as frequently. A lovely little species. This is a female, the males are very brightly coloured with yellows and black. I also had a few tiny little Coal Tits visiting the feeder constantly and then also coming to drink.  It is really worth mentioning that every time I have had a Crossbill come to the pool, a Coal Tit has always come down first.  It's probable that the Crossbills watch to see the Coal Tits drinking and use them as a "marker" to check for safety. I wonder if this interspecies association has been recorded before?  But for me, this cant be just a coincidence.

A Coal Tit comes to the pool and below, drinks just before both the Siskin and then a male Crossbill that I was too slow to photograph.

I'm not a great fan of birds on feeders but it is a good opportunity to get close to them.