Waxwing invasion 2012/13 (1 Viewer)

[dantheman]

only reading* the article

*(Looking at the pictures. The article was in french)

 

[dafi]

Thats interesting Andrew, a lot of our birds are young ones as well. I dont think the amount of birds is unusualy heavy this year (yet).

The other factor that i would have expected to be pushing them in our direction would be the weather and that does not seem to be that extreme over the last couple of weeks. It will be interesting to see what happens if the weather gos back to the east !!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Thats interesting Andrew, a lot of our birds are young ones as well. I dont think the amount of birds is unusualy heavy this year (yet).

The other factor that i would have expected to be pushing them in our direction would be the weather and that does not seem to be that extreme over the last couple of weeks. It will be interesting to see what happens if the weather gos back to the east !!

I don't know that the weather is ever that much of a factor in Waxwing movements - I think the relative scarcity of food for the size of population is the main thing. Weather conditions may influence where they go to I suppose but probably not whether they move in the first place.

I guess whether this is a big invasion or not depends on the time scale you use to assess that. Waxwings have become a lot more numerous and regular in the UK over the past 10-20 years. 20 years ago the numbers we have at the moment would have seemed huge, but the numbers are still lower than in recent invasions such as 2004/05.

 

[Teamscotch]

I guess whether this is a big invasion or not depends on the time scale you use to assess that. Waxwings have become a lot more numerous and regular in the UK over the past 10-20 years. 20 years ago the numbers we have at the moment would have seemed huge, but the numbers are still lower than in recent invasions such as 2004/05.

Very true - when I started birding in the early 80s people used to talk misty eyed about the invasion in 1965, and there had been many lean winters where the species was rare and hard to catch up with even on the east coast. Now there are significant numbers every winter and monster years several times a decade. Good times!

 

[Bananafishbones]

Good numbers in Knutsford Cheshire this morning

reports of 80+

I can only vouch for the flock of 15 in this tree and the 25+ that flew over

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Good numbers in Knutsford Cheshire this morning

reports of 80+

I can only vouch for the flock of 15 in this tree and the 25+ that flew over

Probably about right as the birds were spread out yesterday and we thought there could be up to 100 in Knutsford.

CB

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Any in Wales at all?

 

[Alex_HJ]

Flock of well over 100 Waxwings in Llandudno, North Wales today...

http://birdingnorthwales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/waxwings-are-back.html

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Cheers Alex. I need them a little further South though.

Rich

 

[Wold Ranger]

200 or so in Hull today (Hessle Road ASDA car park)
http://woldranger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/waxwings.html

 

[mike davidson]

Steve

need to see them in Dorset in 6 weeks time !

Just had a visit from David Lindo , aka the Urban Birder to explore Nairobi and environs . About to post a thread on his visit which was extraordinary

Mike

A report of 7 on supermarket berries at Mountsorrel, Leics this morning - but rapid increase to 24 there at lunchtime. Did not stay long though.

Steve

 

[Cheshire Birder]

c170 in Cheshire today

CB

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

c170 in Cheshire today

Bird Guides reports 1,000 Kyle of Lochalsh (not a typo)

 

[pianoman]

:t: Any minute now in Dublin
This time I'll need to keep compact bins with me 24-7

 

[cameron2]

does anyone know about waxwings in winchester?

 

[cameron2]

sorry thats in hampshire

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Bird Guides reports 1,000 Kyle of Lochalsh (not a typo)

A very impressive count.

CB

 

[Edward]

Hundreds of Waxwings spread across Iceland in the last couple of weeks and one ringing recovery, a bird ringed on the coast of Finland on 10 October was found dead (collided with window) in far western Iceland on 7 November, 2186 km from where it was ringed.

 

[Euan Buchan]

Going to look for Waxwings on Friday

 

[kittykat23uk]

Any in Norwich?