Waxwings

[Mr Owl PhD 544]

I know a few folks here are interested in birds and so you might like to know that this winter looks like being particularly good for Waxwings. We usually get a few each year but already there are hundreds around town. Here are some of the 700 I saw in Kincorth today.

[chilli 46]

I know a few folks here are interested in birds and so you might like to know that this winter looks like being particularly good for Waxwings. We usually get a few each year but already there are hundreds around town. Here are some of the 700 I saw in Kincorth today.

yeh thanks for sharing this, plus the photos are great.

any ideas why theve flocked here?

[Hog 68]

Nicer than the usual Kincorth birds I have seen.

[HateEvent 275]

Nicer than the usual Kincorth birds I have seen.

"You must spread...

Your legs."

[Mr Owl PhD 544]

yeh thanks for sharing this, plus the photos are great.

any ideas why theve flocked here?

I think they like Kincorth because there's lots of rowan trees there, so lots of berries. Aberdeen is probably the best area of the UK for them maybe because it's closer to their breeding areas (northern Scandinavia, Russia) and they tend to come in from the north. They congregate in cities (maybe because there are lots of berry-bearing trees in cities) so northern cities always tend to do well. The best numbers at the moment are in Aberdeen and Inverness, although they're spread through much of the country in smaller numbers.

[framheim 556]

not seen any yet in culter but hoping to get them. there's tons of rowans near my flat but all that happens is the berries gets squished into the pavement/my carpets. would love it if waxwings ate them instead!

great photos mr owl!

[Me and Parvati 5]

None in Turriff yet, but here's hoping - apparently they've had a good breeding season in Europe, so they've eaten everything there and migrated early to scoff all our berries. Lovely birds, though, and cracking photos too.

[Alan Cynic 223]

Last time they were over in big numbers a heap of them landed on a hedge in my front garden....beautiful things! They make a nice'whirring' noise, too.

[Teabags 2632]

[Alan Cynic 223]

Arf!!!

There was a bit about them on Autumnwatch, with a close-up of a wing.

[Mr Owl PhD 544]

Still lots of Waxwings around. Yesterday folk were putting colour rings on them in Allenvale to help track where they go. A few years ago a Waxwing ringed in Aberdeen was found (I think brought in by a cat!) in central Russia.

[Graeme 21]

Still lots of Waxwings around. Yesterday folk were putting colour rings on them in Allenvale to help track where they go. A few years ago a Waxwing ringed in Aberdeen was found (I think brought in by a cat!) in central Russia.

Probably my stupid bro! Still heaps of berries in my garden ripe for the picking.

[Chris 665]

Not taken much of an interest in this before... I've never noticed anything other than crows and wood pigeons out here in Banchory.

Those two statements may be related.

Wouldn't say wood pigeons are sky rats. The pigeons out here are vastly different to the scabby, ratty pigeons you get in Aberdeen.

Also wood pigeon = tasty.

[pogofish 49]

any ideas why theve flocked here?

As well as the berries, an open north-facing outlook is attractive to Waxwings.

Which probably explains Kincorth. I remember you used to get loads of them out front of Abottswell School.

Excellent shots Mr Owl!

[Alan Cynic 223]

Sadly, I found a dead one on Holburn St yesterday....put the photo up on facebook

Login | Facebook

.....then I went home and did this song...

01 When the waxwings came 1.mp3 by Kitchen Cynics | Myspace Music

(it's on the old Rolyford acoustic)

[KarmaTsunami 269]

I mean it more in the way they aren't very pretty to look at and extremely uninteresting.

Better than the aberdeen ones of course. I love birds but i've taken a close enough interest to be able to identify what kind of bird one was when i see them. Might start taking a closer look, i love birds in artwork and photography.

I hope you don't mean crows are uninteresting. Crows are brilliant. The whole corvus family is.