'The Sitka spruce is a dominant planted species of conifer plantations throughout Dartmoor, Haldon in Devon and vast areas of Upland South central Wales.
The Crossbill only breed when their food becomes available on what species of tree, so they can breed at any time of year.
If the crossbill has found this food source and the Sitka spruce cones are present , their seeds become available around late Autumn onwards. The crossbill is already exploiting this food source, and nesting.
But there is a problem at hand, I was talking to Andrew Dixon last night, and he told me this: Because we are experiencin g this incredible dry period, it may be cold, but it is dry, The Sitka spruce are opening their cones, and releasing their seeds. I was up there yesterday, and sitting under the Sitka, and it was like raining on me, I thought " what is that"? it was the seeds. The Crossbills food is literately dropping to the ground. In their millions. He said that he had this in 2008, and when this happened, all the birds just deserted their nests, young and all.'
Andrew might be the Andrew Dixon who spoke at the Wildlife Trust meeting a little while ago, a Peregrine expert among other things.