Waxwings. Never Seen One Before Today!

GERFIX · 8th February 2009, 20:50

Mrs G and I were taking a drive along to the Council Dump today when she suddenly shouted "stop the car".

Reversed and saw some birds in a tree! Went back home, picked up the camera and took some pics of these lovely guys.....

I knew straight away that they were Waxwings but I've never seen one in the flesh before, let alone a mini flock of them. Lovely!

Lambrettaman · 8th February 2009, 20:56

Hi, I feed the birds all winter and have yet to see one of these, they're great pictures. Went to Aldi today and bought one of these (see attachment) for £39 which comes with in-box camera for watching the birds nesting.

dionh · 8th February 2009, 22:06

Hi Colin,

I bet you were surprised to find them still there on your return. My experience usually involves rushing back home for binos/camera, returning to spot to where bird was, only to find that it is no longer there.

I've only ever seen Waxwings once and that was several years ago in the top of some pine trees about half a mile away from here. Of course I didn't have binos/camera with me at the time!

Great photos. What are they feeding on and what is that metal rail thing in the last photo?

Di.

GERFIX · 9th February 2009, 06:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by dionh

Hi Colin,

I bet you were surprised to find them still there on your return. My experience usually involves rushing back home for binos/camera, returning to spot to where bird was, only to find that it is no longer there.

I've only ever seen Waxwings once and that was several years ago in the top of some pine trees about half a mile away from here. Of course I didn't have binos/camera with me at the time!

Great photos. What are they feeding on and what is that metal rail thing in the last photo?

Di.

Definitely a big surprise. We were only a couple of hundred yards frommthe house so it wasn't THAT much of a surprise. What was a surprise was that, once we'd been to the dump, about three miles away, we came back to find them still there! So I got another pic from the car and stepped out to cross the road to get a better close-up, at which point they decided they'd done enough posing and took off.

They were perched in that tall tree most of the time. In the last pic they have come down to a hedge with a fence running alongside to pick at the berries although I'm not sure what kind. It was fantastic to see.

podge · 9th February 2009, 16:17

SWMBO a great birdlover tells me they have come down from Norway/Sweden as they usually overwinter in Scotland but its too cold up there at the moment.....love that last shot.P.

GERFIX · 9th February 2009, 18:18

Went out this morning for a walk and, lo and behold, they were there again. Obviously there for the berries.

However, this time there must have been around fifty of them in the top of an larger tree, but in the same place. Of course, by the time I'd gone back for the camera (!!) they had spread out so it was difficult to get a good idea from a photo of the scale of the flock. Here goes anyway.....

This wasn't all of them. Some were behind and to the left too, out of shot.

And my favourite shot....

mantianak · 10th February 2009, 18:04

Fantastic photos! Must be great to see them so much.

GERFIX · 13th February 2009, 06:19

It is! We got back from Dublin late on Wednesday night and yesterday morning passed the same area and they were still there! There can't be many of those berries left now.

W953 BJX · 1st March 2009, 23:57

That's answered a question! Brill, the other day I was sat looking out the window, and this vast flock of birds, mustve been well over 500 in total hopped from tree to tree across our garden, never seen them before and hadn't a clue what they were, and they were headed vaguely north, your photo's are brill and that is catagorically them, they weren't feeding or anything, and passed through really quickly cnsidering the volume of birds there were, do they migrate then? Ive never seen them any other year, very pretty things really, I thought they were more common in the land of porridge up north?

Starman · 2nd March 2009, 07:14

Morning guys... I didn't realise these guys were so sparse! Here in Shrewsbury I see them often on the walk to work, which is along a path in the woodland beside the town. Should they be there again I shall try to grab a shot as now I've said that I bet they've flown!!
Doubt my pics will be anything like Colin's as they're brilliant...

8th February 2009, 20:50	#1
GERFIX I really should get out more....... MINI COOPER S Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tranent, East Lothian, SCOTLAND Posts: 2,834 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Waxwings. Never Seen One Before Today! Mrs G and I were taking a drive along to the Council Dump today when she suddenly shouted "stop the car". Reversed and saw some birds in a tree! Went back home, picked up the camera and took some pics of these lovely guys..... I knew straight away that they were Waxwings but I've never seen one in the flesh before, let alone a mini flock of them. Lovely! __________________ .......................................Colin http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...Cooper-S-2.jpg

8th February 2009, 22:06	#3
dionh Regular poster MG ZT-T cdti 135 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Monmouth Posts: 96 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Hi Colin, I bet you were surprised to find them still there on your return. My experience usually involves rushing back home for binos/camera, returning to spot to where bird was, only to find that it is no longer there. I've only ever seen Waxwings once and that was several years ago in the top of some pine trees about half a mile away from here. Of course I didn't have binos/camera with me at the time! Great photos. What are they feeding on and what is that metal rail thing in the last photo? Di. Last edited by dionh; 8th February 2009 at 22:07.. Reason: Spelling

9th February 2009, 16:17	#5
podge I really should get out more....... Rover 75 Tourer CDT CLUB SE Copper Red Mica Dec 01 ....now deceased....replaced by2003 Royal Blue T Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North Warnborough, Hampshire Posts: 2,398 Thanks: 9 Thanked 69 Times in 20 Posts	SWMBO a great birdlover tells me they have come down from Norway/Sweden as they usually overwinter in Scotland but its too cold up there at the moment.....love that last shot.P. __________________ 01 75 CDT Club SE Tourer..."The Rover 75 is a British-built car to be proud of." B.M.Ws loss........OUR GAIN!!!!!!!! http://knowledgerush.com/wiki_image/...arp.300pix.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/3...b847e1c5_m.jpg

9th February 2009, 18:18	#6
GERFIX I really should get out more....... MINI COOPER S Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tranent, East Lothian, SCOTLAND Posts: 2,834 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	There's More Went out this morning for a walk and, lo and behold, they were there again. Obviously there for the berries. However, this time there must have been around fifty of them in the top of an larger tree, but in the same place. Of course, by the time I'd gone back for the camera (!!) they had spread out so it was difficult to get a good idea from a photo of the scale of the flock. Here goes anyway..... This wasn't all of them. Some were behind and to the left too, out of shot. And my favourite shot.... __________________ .......................................Colin http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...Cooper-S-2.jpg

13th February 2009, 06:19	#8
GERFIX I really should get out more....... MINI COOPER S Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tranent, East Lothian, SCOTLAND Posts: 2,834 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	It is! We got back from Dublin late on Wednesday night and yesterday morning passed the same area and they were still there! There can't be many of those berries left now. __________________ .......................................Colin http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...Cooper-S-2.jpg

10th February 2009, 18:04	#7
mantianak I really should get out more....... ZT 190+ Saloon Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Poole Posts: 2,413 Thanks: 6 Thanked 22 Times in 21 Posts	Fantastic photos! Must be great to see them so much.

1st March 2009, 23:57	#9
W953 BJX Loves to post 1953 and 1955 series 1 landrovers, two series 3 landrovers, range rover, rover 75 saloon Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Leicestershire Posts: 367 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	That's answered a question! Brill, the other day I was sat looking out the window, and this vast flock of birds, mustve been well over 500 in total hopped from tree to tree across our garden, never seen them before and hadn't a clue what they were, and they were headed vaguely north, your photo's are brill and that is catagorically them, they weren't feeding or anything, and passed through really quickly cnsidering the volume of birds there were, do they migrate then? Ive never seen them any other year, very pretty things really, I thought they were more common in the land of porridge up north?

2nd March 2009, 07:14	#10
Starman Posted a thing or two 03 CDTi Tourer Conn SE auto Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Shrewsbury Posts: 1,405 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15 Times in 4 Posts	Morning guys... I didn't realise these guys were so sparse! Here in Shrewsbury I see them often on the walk to work, which is along a path in the woodland beside the town. Should they be there again I shall try to grab a shot as now I've said that I bet they've flown!! Doubt my pics will be anything like Colin's as they're brilliant... __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]