Waxwings in the U.K? (1 Viewer)

Hi,

I have been birding on and off since about 2010, when I started out birding locally around Essex in the winter on local patches, there was always huge numbers of Waxwings, all over, local town, supermarket car parks..the list goes on. I would regularly see 5/6 different waxwing reports around Essex per day maybe more, but like this year and the last..there has been nothing what so ever..? And iv not heard many other parts of the UK seeing many ...am I missing something or have they just become very very scare the last 2/3 years in the U.K. ?? 2010/11/12 etc they was so common in the winter ..Maybe someone has a bit more information, thanks in advance

Their numbers always go up and down like a yo-yo over different winters. It depends on whether they've had a good breeding season or not, and what the berry crops are like in different places. A good crop in Russia or Scandinavia, and they stay over there; a bad crop there but a good one here, they all come piling across.

2016-17 was actually a good winter for them, at least up here in the NE; had a flock of around 200 in January, and another flock of 30-40 in March.

So far this winter, there's been very few around. But if the berries run out further east, they can arrive in good numbers yet, even as late as February-March.

Yes last year was a great winter for Waxwings I actually saw them for the first time since 2012. Made my Christmas come early but saw them again in February this year. There have been a few sightings but I have yet to see them. The best way to find out about Waxwing sighting is to follow @WaxwingsUK on Twitter, even if you don't have Twitter you can still look.

It's been quite thin for them this winter in NE Scotland, although there was a flock of up to 34 until recently in my Aberdeen neighbourhood that now seem to have moved on, perhaps to be seen further south...? 😀

I've seen five (1+4) but it isn't really an influx year, it seems.