Wonderful Waxwings!!

Waxwings are winter visitors from Russia or Scandinavia and are a rare treat for birdwatchers. I’ve only seen a flock of 9 of them once before, 6 years ago and during an “irruption” when hundreds came over to UK because their own stocks of berries back home were so low.

This year their numbers are low across Britain so it’s quite something to see them. They are mostly found near the East coast, hotspots in Scotland being the Moray Firth. This year a group of 30 or more in Sighthill, Edinburgh featured on BBC’s “Winterwatch”. I had just started following a site on facebook called “Waxwing Locations UK” when I saw they had been spotted in Torrance, 10 minutes drive from home. So I went along for a look this morning and there they were!

It was seeing a fellow enthusiast with his big lens at the ready that alerted me to where they were. He pointed up to the top of a nearby tree, where I could hear their high pitched trill. Then he pointed to a berry laden tree in someone’s back garden which they were sporadically feeding from. Soon we were joined by more “bird paparazzi” !

It’s just as well there was a big fence between us and the garden, goodness knows what the home owner would have made of all the big lenses pointing in towards the tree. All were pointed upwards as soon as we saw waxwings swoop down for a feed.

The birds would alight on the berry tree for a few minutes at a time, gobble a few berries then disappear off again. They didn’t seem too shy, although a barking dog in the garden scared them off at one point. Here are my shots of the birds, and I was grateful to get some photography tips from those around me.

They have the most amazing wing tips with the bright red patches giving them their name. I especially love their punk rock quiffs, so exotic looking.

They sometimes have to do some acrobatics to get at the berries.

Waxwings mainly eat berries, especially rowan berries like these. They also love apples which have been left on the ground. They can get quite drunk if they eat too many fruits which have begun to ferment.

Meanwhile nearby a pair of mistle thrushes were watching on anxiously. From time to time one would come and defend its patch vociferously, sometimes chasing away the waxwings despite being outnumbered.

I was getting lessons on how to use the manual settings on my camera and decided to get even closer to the tree for sharper shots. However the rain came on and I had to go, but I think I’ll be back tomorrow. After all, it could be another 6 years till I see them again. I may have captured some photographs, but the waxwings have captured my heart!