Waxwings anybody? (1 Viewer)

[lee_hesp]

Definitely worth checking if they are carrying any Cedars with them........

 

[harald misund]

In Bodø area North in Norway we have more and more Waxwing coming. This year the rowan trees have a lot of berry. Normal they will stay to they have empty the trees, together with Fieldfare (more and more stay over the winter)and a few Redwing.
So there will come a lot of birds still from North in the coming weeks.

 

[Henry B]

Are there any in the Elgin, Moray area yet.

 

[dafi]

I was speaking to the RSPB lads the other night. They were telling me that nearly all of the birds here seem to be first year birds(i am not sure how you tell) But it looks like a massive influx and might be the biggest for years.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Getting flocks of 50 or so every day now through here, but still nothing to suggest it is anything but an average year so far (in eastern Europe), no massive flocks that tend to occur in the exceptional years

 

[RecoveringScot]

300 in Allenvale Cemetery. Aberdeen today. This is more than the average for this time of year, but at a regular spot.

Cheers,

 

[dafi]

Thats interesting Jos. I supose time will soon tell.

 

[June Atkinson]

Waxwings in Northumberland

Reports of small groups in the Ashington area, and also here in Ponteland, at Prestwick Carr.

One year we had a flock of 60 in the hedge opposite our house on the outskirts of the village. They stripped the entire hedge of berries in under twenty minutes!

Hope they will come nearer to us!:t:

 

[Neil Grubb]

Lothians

Some small flocks seen in the Lothians, Scotland over the past week or so. See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lothianbirdnews/ for specifics. I saw a flock of 60 or so at Dunbar yesterday but they look as if they were moving through and not hanging around at the coast.

Neil

 

[Capercaillie71]

300 in Allenvale Cemetery. Aberdeen today. This is more than the average for this time of year, but at a regular spot.

Although the birds are very mobile. I spent a while after lunch wandering round the cemetery and didn't see a thing. When I got home, I discovered 200 had been seen there in the morning and 300 later in the afternoon! Still plenty of berries on the trees though.

 

[RecoveringScot]

Although the birds are very mobile. I spent a while after lunch wandering round the cemetery and didn't see a thing. When I got home, I discovered 200 had been seen there in the morning and 300 later in the afternoon! Still plenty of berries on the trees though.

I'm off there in an hour. I'll keep you posted.

Cheers,

 

[griffin]

I had a peak of 600 there today. Berries will only last another few days if the birds are present in numbers again tommorrow !

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Well it's not 600 but there were two by Barnoldswick (in Lancashire) council recycling station today showing wonderfully. Cracking birds!

 

[Capercaillie71]

I had a peak of 600 there today. Berries will only last another few days if the birds are present in numbers again tommorrow !

Only 600, Linz?

I went back this afternoon and the sky was black with waxwings. They were very mobile, rarely settling for more than a minute or two in any one place. At one point most of them flew up into tall trees along the railway line. From counting the birds in my photos there were at least 900 birds there! Almost on a par with 2004/05

 

[G Anderson]

Good sized flocks now in Lothian, a sixty (ish) at Dunbar and 32 here in Musselburgh. Too early to tell if it's going to be a 'massive' year, or just good numbers. Waxwing invasions are becoming more frequent in recent years, in Scotland, I think.

Just saw the above post - looks like it's going to be massive!

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

We had 100+ waxwings near the Montrose Basin Centre at lunch time today. Also, later in the afternoon while at Forfar Loch, we had reports of 50+ over on the other side of the loch.

Darell:t:

 

[Tree Sparrow]

Oh poo! I'd be happy to see one............may have to travel a bit. Surely they'd like the berries on my drive lol.

Lovely pics Capercaille.

TS

 

[griffin]

Only 600, Linz?

I was there all afternoon until dusk. I had a 'loose' maxima of 622 in the trees at the old folks flats. Every year we usually get around 200 birds at this site. There were about 3x or at most 3.5x that amount there today in my opinion, pretty much double what was there were yesterday.

Birds went to roost at about 4.15pm.

We'll see what tommorrow brings !

Lindsay

 

[G Anderson]

I was there all afternoon until dusk. I had a 'loose' maxima of 622 in the trees at the old folks flats. Every year we usually get around 200 birds at this site. There were about 3x or at most 3.5x that amount there today in my opinion, pretty much double what was there were yesterday.

Birds went to roost at about 4.15pm.

We'll see what tommorrow brings !

Lindsay

Every year, are you sure? Dating back how long? Just interested. Regards Gordon

 

[griffin]

Every year, are you sure? Dating back how long? Just interested. Regards Gordon

Eh, yeah I am sure ! I have lived next to Allenvale Cemetery since 2002 and we have had Waxwings every winter. Usually around 200 are present, sometimes more as this year. In most years there are very few berries left by this time of year but thankfully Redwing and Fieldfare numbers have been lower this winter.

The first Waxwings I saw in Aberdeen were approx. 1/8 a mile away in 1987 so definitely a local hot spot.

Lindsay