Waxwings on the move!

[Conifers]

And coming to a garden near you! Biggest numbers for several years

Look out for them wherever there's any berries - rowan, hawthorn, etc.

Flock of 108 Waxwings

[Dave Brown]

I've never seen any here, and I'm only 3 miles from RSPBs Northward Hill and Cliffe Lakes massive overwintering grounds. Is the increase due to the very bad spring (lack of berries)

[Conifers]

Yep, a shortage of berries in Scandinavia where they usually winter.

If you've got any berries nearby, you've a very high probability of getting some - listen out for their high-pitched trilling call, and Starling-like shape in flight.

[dino]

I'd love to see one but most of my berries have already been eaten by blackbirds and pigeons and so early. Maybe they're stocking up for a bad winter?

[Conifers]

You can put out apples for them





They're often very tame, too . . .



Videos by Tommyart, Fair Isle, Shetland. More amazing pics at the link!

[kata]

Had those three years ago in Blackburn,

I remember the excitement it created. One had nested in a tree in town, the twitters were there with their cameras.........

The one in my garden at that time sent me looking at my bird book, sure enough it was a Waxwing.

We get nothing like that here.

[Tom2006]

Wonderful looking birds!

[Dave Brown]

Wonderful looking birds!

and apparently so tame as well

[Clive60]

Not arrived down here yet, although a few Geat Grey Shrikes have. Not seen either but I'll be on the look out next week.

[Troppoz]

What beautiful birds! Can believe that wild ones will eat out of your hand, what a delight!!

[kata]

I talked a long time to Canadian friends (Ontario)

She could charm the Humming birds from the trees to her hand. I always wanted one of those in my garden and with more exotic birds hitting our shores who knows.........

[Clive60]

I think Hummers can only fly about two hours nonstop before needing to refuel on nectar so couldn't make it here.

[Conifers]

I think Hummers can only fly about two hours nonstop before needing to refuel on nectar so couldn't make it here.

They can do more than that - Ruby-throated Hummers cross the Caribbean non-stop from the USA to South America without stopping in on Cuba etc. True there's no records of any crossing the Atlantic yet, but I suspect it's only a matter of time before one gets found on the Azores after a hurricane.

Bar-tailed Godwits are the best at it, they do Alaska to New Zealand, over 10,000 km in 8 days non-stop flying.

[kata]

If only they knew how much we loved them..all birds....

Thanks for the update Clive and Conifers. I love talking wildlife. I have lived here two years and seen only one Robin and one bluetit...I hate this place and really miss my acrobating bluetit birds.

I used to watch them spin the feeder at my old address.

[Dave Brown]

Kata I am also interested in wildlife, and a love of the garden seems to go hand in hand with wildlife, or should do. If you have a garden then it is a potential wildlife haven. If there is enough support, I don't have a problem with a Wildlife section rather than just posting 'off topic'. Not all members have access to here.