Waxwings anybody? (1 Viewer)

[Jos Stratford]

Does anyone know if they go for orange berries or just red ones?

The reason I ask is because my mother used to have a Toringo crab apple tree in her garden on the coast.

Here Waxwings plough through amost anything - grapes are a favourite, usual apples very much liked too. In my garden I have black berries, very much scoffed too. Yellow and red berries all very nice too. Hawking for insects here in the last days, unseasonally warm days responsible.

Sat in a queue over a river bridge in city centre today, two Goosanders flew past, 120 Waxwings moments later

 

[jtwood]

A good number of reports in the Lothian area over the last Ten days with a flock of over 100 at Belhaven Dunbar, They have been in the same small area for a week now feeding mainly on Hawthorn Berrys

 

[rokermartin]

Several small flocks of Waxwings seen in Northumberland,Cleveland and Durham in the last few days.Saw a flock of 50 today at Jarrow ,Tyne and Wear.

 

[s. james]

I did a recount of my photos from Allenvale Cemetery, Aberdeen this morning. I excluded any blobs that might possibly have just been leaves (but were probably waxwings) and still got a total of 890 (compared with 913 when I counted the photos yesterday and included all the blobs). All four photos were taken within the space of 24 seconds according to the file properties of the originals so there shouldn't be any significant duplication of birds

Nice. I like this idea. I'm hopeless at counting birds especially in large aerial flocks.

No waxwings on this side of the sheuch yet? Never seen one before.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Still moving through in usual numbers over here in the east - 85 in my one garden in the morning, then 40 in the garden of my other place in the afternoon!

 

[luke]

i notice on the rare bird map that alot of birds have now reached west scotland. Will these birds start to move south or will they move over to Ireland? I've yet to see a little triangle saying 'waxwing' in Wales so far this autumn!

 

[Keith Dickinson]

On the counting front there was a website which was linked to on here a long while back which had simulated flocks of birds flying across the screen which you had a few short seconds to count/estimate as accurately as you could . . a useful resource if someone can remember where! Must be ones for birds stationary too . . .

Dan

Here you are Dan, this is the program I reckon.


http://www.stigc.dk/projects/countinggame/index.asp

 

[G Anderson]

Still moving through in usual numbers over here in the east - 85 in my one garden in the morning, then 40 in the garden of my other place in the afternoon!

Interesting to see what numbers your get Jos, higher or lower (sounds like a quiz show we got here...), than 'usual'. Got 8 fly past my window yesterday. They were scare here in Scotland in the 80's when I started birding. Irruptions before then of course!

 

[Jos Stratford]

Interesting to see what numbers your get Jos, higher or lower (sounds like a quiz show we got here...), than 'usual'.

So far, I'd say, more or less smack on par with usual numbers appearing in the city and around. Though seeing daily now, and numbers are rising, still the flocks are not reaching the sizes or abundance that would be the case in better years.

That said just did a rather dangerous swerve to a lay-by to count a flock of approximately 500 that suddenly appeared over the city's main throughfare.

 

[peter hill]

interestingly all my counts were over estimates anyone else ?

 

[s. james]

interestingly all my counts were over estimates anyone else ?

As expected I was absolutely terrible at that! No easy rules to explain why, I'd a load of wild underestimates and a load of wild overestimates!

 

[scodger]

I had a go and underestimated by 5-10% each time. I thought that was quite good but I've been birding for 35 years

ANYWAY more importantly I'm looking for Waxwings to film in Yorkshire, anyone know of any photogenic flocks around at the moment?

 

[griffin]

ANYWAY more importantly I'm looking for Waxwings to film in Yorkshire, anyone know of any photogenic flocks around at the moment?

A bird ringed in Aberdeen on 9th Nov has just been reported (dead) in Peebles so they are on their way !

Can birders please check all birds carefully for colour rings as this provides valuable data on their movements.

Lindsay

 

[edenwatcher]

In a flock of 20 in St. Andrews today:
blue over orange (left leg) pale green (right leg)

Rob

 

[IanF]

Around 70 in Billingham at lunch time. Eating yellow berries.

 

[griffin]

In a flock of 20 in St. Andrews today:
blue over orange (left leg) pale green (right leg)

Rob

Rob that is fantastic thanks very much for that !

This bird was caught and ringed at Allenvale Cemetery, Aberdeen on 11th November 2008 by myself, Derek Robertson and Walter Burns along with 26 other birds.

I have passed the information to Raymond Duncan our Ringing Group Secretary (and who's project the Waxwings are) and he is very grateful !

Please keep looking out for colour ringed birds everyone. In addition to this one and the dead Peebles bird mentioned previously another bird was reported in Barrow yesterday.

Thanks again !

Lindsay

 

[Nigel Addecott]

reading the sightings pages there seem to be increasing numbers pushing further South ,with reports from S.Yorks, Notts , Norfolk, Suffolk, Beds & Warcs.

 

[luke]

and now brecknockshire! one was seen in Llangors village yesturday.

 

[June Atkinson]

Waxwings in North-east

and now brecknockshire! one was seen in Llangors village yesturday.

Small groups have been seen in various parts of the region, including Jarrow.

 

[griffin]

I had 250 today at Allenvale Cem. in Aberdeen. This group fragmented due to the local massive fem Sprawk. 53 returned and out of these 2 were colour ringed at Scotstown, Bridge of Don on November 11th, so still around after two weeks.

These 'static' local bird resightings are also important as some birds obviously remain whilst others skedaddle southwards. So, Aberdeen birders look out for the colour rings too !

Lindsay