Waxwing

[seth49]

Finally saw some of these today, there were eight altogether, been trying to get a photo for years, I kept missing them, every time I got to were they were, I had just missed them.

There a lovely colourful bird, quite tame to, they didn't seem bothered at all by the people that were about. Pleased to get this, another one of the bucket list.

 

[S-Kippy]

Lucky boy ! I always seem to miss the waxwing by a day. Haven't seen any for years but im determined to sort that this winter .

 

[flightliner]

Lovely pik, well done, twenty odd years since my last sighting on one of the Bosten drains when out piking.

 

[Tee-Cee]

Yes, very, very, lucky with the waxwing...Never seen one in the flesh, so to speak.

We do have a flock, and I mean a flock, of fieldfares systematically stripping the huge holly tree at the top end of the garden. This has been going on for two days now and happens on odd occasions and certainly not every year. Never see one anywhere near the garden normally...Nice to see, though.............

Strangley the bird feeders seem deserted this last two weeks so maybe the warm weather has affected them as well??

 

[Alan Tyler]

Frankly, having only seen them once, in the brutal winter of 2010 (I think), I could survive on the memory alone. If there are expeditionary parties already checking us out, we might be in for a vicious time of it. I'd better get some fishing in while the wet stuff's still liquid!

Don't they have a lovely call? Just like those toy whistles with water in.

 

[seth49]

I had that thought about the cold weather as well, they do seem to be more about when it's very cold, but saying that the village were I saw these does seem to get some every winter.

There are a lot of rowan trees here, and this year they are full of berries, so there's plenty of food for them. The local birding site is very good for information, eastlancsornitholigistsis very good, there are a lot of very keen birders around here, so we get some real raritys at times.

We are low enough not to get much snow, and there's plenty of countryside about yet, though there doing there best to build on it, it's nice to have the time now, to go and see what's about.

Pleased with the new camera I got this year, it's the Panasonic superzoom DMC FZ 72 it's got a 60x optical zoom, that's what I took this photo with from about thirty yards away, i like Panasonic cameras I have a compact one that's in my fishing waistcoat all the time, that has a 20x zoom very handy.

I've noticed the same this year not many birds coming to my feeders yet. there must be plenty of natural food yet,there's quite a lot of fieldfares and redwings about as normal.

---------- Post added at 09:51 ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 ----------

I never heard the call, I'd forgotten to put my hearing aids in that morning, it's more peaceful at home if I do that

 

[robtherake]

Lovely birds. We used to see them every year in the oak trees on the Liverton side of Kilton woods, but there were some proper winters in those days. Many a time I'd watch them through the airgun scope, fingers turning blue, while my terrier looked for squirrels and such (he was hopeless!). Back then, it was permitted (with a blind eye turned) to wander the woods with an air weapon, as long as we kept off the keepered plantation. Never heard of many accidents, either, and when they did happen no-one ended up in court over it because people accepted that in real life there's always an element of risk.:wh

 

[seth49]

Just to add to this, there were eighty two of these counted here yesterday, we could be in for a proper cold spell for a change, not been so many since the last one in 2010.

 

[Tee-Cee]

I've just seen the weather forecast from New Years day going forward (mildish up until then in the south) and it seems the weather will start to get a lot colder, with sleet, high winds and some snow moving down the country. If I look outside now I would say the cold snap has already arrived!!

About to order another sack of mixed bird seed and peanuts and bring out two more feeders 'just in case' the cold(er) front arrives even earlier....Oh, for the record we have -2 at the moment........

ps I did manage to see a Nuthatch yesterday (fleetingly on the feeder) with bino's. Very pretty bird, and for me the 'Concorde' of the bird world what with it's shape and black line through the eye, not to mention pastel shades of breast and wing. If I thought my feeding programme would save just that one bird through the winter I would be more than happy..................................

pps Still a tad jealous of the Waxwing, though!

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Wonderful photograph, well done.

Bob