Scunthorpe Waxwings

Just driven back from Scunthorpe and had 13 Waxwings along the side of the Li-Lo factory on Normanby Business Park - no camera so no photos!

Another Waxwing tragedy

Click on this link http://theshadoxhurstgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/waxwing-roadside-casualty.html

I can only say drivers need to slow down particularly on the road from Normanby through to Burton, Coleby, Thealby, West Halton and Alkborough.

A deceased Waxwing!

Whilst watching a couple of hundred Waxwing between here and West Halton we were dismayed to see this first winter male taken up into the air in the updraught of a car and then fall into the side of the road - it wasn’t hit by the car but was dead non the less.  They are easy pickings for drivers and Sparrowhawks as they seem to have no fear or road sense.

Waxwings

Well they’re still here in ever increasing numbers - these images were taken by my father this afternoon.

More Waxwings

Our local Waxwings are still around and we estimate there to be around 250 having said that they were a little elusive today and seem to have broken up into smaller groups - this group were settled until a Fieldfare took fright and spooked them - the local Sparrowhawk is still stalking them also and must be taking a couple a day!

100+ Waxwings minus one!

Over 100 Waxwings in Burton Upon Stather this morning but there is now one less thanks to a hungry Sparrowhawk!  Yes there is a Waxwing in this first picture, it is under the talons of the Sparrowhawk - all pictures taken from the car in very low light and gale force winds.

Waxwings at last!

This autumn has seen an eruption of Waxwings into the country with flocks of up to 1000 strong being seen in the Highlands and around 300 just over the Humber in Hessle, so with that in mind we have been keeping our eyes open - so driving up to Whitton late this afternoon I noticed out of the corner of my eye a smudge of grey in the middle of a Rowan tree ,  we were driving up the main street of West Halton so I quickly got Wayne to stop the car and with a quick bit of reversing we soon found a couple of Waxwings but could hear many more - although these birds are instantly recognisable and charismatic they can certainly hide for example in the first image below there are around 52 Waxwings in the top of the two Poplar trees!  The only camera we had on us was an old Panasonic FZ20 so I quickly took a few shots but within minutes the whole flock was spooked by a Sparrowhawk and we were unable to relocate them and by 3.30 the light was fading and these birds are notoriously early roosters but who knows they could be back tomorrow to finish off the berries.

The elusive Scunthorpe Waxwings

Well  the weekend has now gone and my birding highlight had to be catching up with the waxwings!  They have been in the Scunthorpe area for a couple of weeks now but we never managed to see them until Saturday when 8 turned up just across the road from my mothers!  The light was not good for photography so I have posted one we took earlier! this fantastic bird was actually in our front garden last year.