The Lincolnshire Bird Club

hope freddie has had his car well serviced also puchased several new pens a couple or so note books to ready himself for the impending waxwing season, good luck pal

terry whalin

Terry,
Thanks for your seasonal wake-up call.
I must admit that my thoughts have also been turning to Bombycilla garrulus recently now that I'm finally out of mourning for Spot Flys ( see my last 'Bird Chat' entry below - 8 October).

The literature tells us that there have never been large Waxwing irruptions two years running and accordingly one pen and one notebook might be more than sufficient for the months ahead......ie. the berry crop in Scandinavia/W. Russia has never failed in successive years. However, I'm hoping that there could be just a modest berry crop in those areas this year and that the 'memory' of last winter's millions of British Rowan and Cotoneaster berries in innumerable supermarket and public building carparks, new housing estates,( plus 'Sentinel' Crabapples in private gardens ! ), etc. is now "hard-wired" into previously visiting Waxwings.....prompting better-than-average numbers in the months ahead. Birds can 'learn' remarkably quickly when plentiful food sources are involved.

We shall see.

Freddy
PS. Just a handful or so of Waxwings have been reported from Orkney (Mainland) since 3rd October plus an interesting record of two birds in Brownhills (W Mids) on 16th October. BirdGuides reported a total of 4,700 in Scotland on 30 October 2010 alone.

Waxwings have now been reported in neighbouring counties :

Norfolk : Sheringham - 6 Nov and Wells Wood - 6 Nov

E.Yorks: Kilnsea - 6 Nov and Flamborough (village) - 7 Nov.

Surely it can't be long before we have a report from Lincs.

Freddy

6 Waxwings were reported today (8 November) at Sea View Farm and 3 Waxwings at Rimac. (Steve Meek)

Freddy

READY--- FREDDIE---- GOOOO !!!!

TERRY WHALIN good luck freddie

Terry,
Apparently neither the Sea View Farm nor the Rimac birds loitered for more than a few minutes before flying off......into the distance.

The question now is which berry tree/trees in Lincs will become the first reported stopover ones to attract the attention of ravenous Waxwings for a few hours/?days and of observant passing birders/passers-by (and follow-up visiting birders) ? Meanwhile there are thousands upon thousands of Rowans, Cotoneasters, Hawthorns, etc. out there in Lincs just waiting "for the honour". WHEN can only be a matter of a day or so.....but just WHERE will it happen ? It's been a long wait since seeing the 11 Waxwings in Sainsbury's Car Park in Bourne on 4th April.

Freddy

Freddy - if you feel like a little bit of company on your Waxwing wanders, I'm always up for some Waxwing-watching myself!

_________________
Follow Me on Twitter!

Katherine,
Thanks for the offer. I know that you are in the Boston area, so we'll see how any long-staying Waxwings locate around Lincs.

Regards,

Freddy

Hi Freddy,

Whilst on a trip to the Spurn area today Linda and I found 7 Waxwings at Beach Road Easington.
Not far from Lincs. as the bird flies. Interestingly, they were feeding on roadside hawthorn berries.

Regards,
Roy

Roy,
Great sighting and I noted it with interest when it appeared on BirdGuides earlier today.

I particularly noticed last year that early on in the winter, Waxwings were quite partial to Hawthorn berries.....before the winter thrushes scoffed the lot. Otherwise in descending order, feeding preferences from my own observations appear to be Rowan (their main 'home' late summer, autumn and winter food) with squashy Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) ....as per " Kalinka,Kalinka, Kalinka moya ! ", Wild Rose hips, Cotoneaster, and finally Ivy in spring when everything else has gone plus leaf buds and insects, both flying and gleaned....... before the birds disappear in April back to Scandinavia and Russia to nest and gorge on insects and early summer fruits and berries before the Rowans ripen again.

Freddy

a few near donna nook reported yesterday freddie

terry whalin

I saw the report on BirdGuides, Terry, but it said :

" Donna Nook - seven in a garden on Donna Nook Road for second day "

I had 'no wheels' yesterday and none today ( the memsahib is " automotively and shoppingly hyperactive " in these days leading up to Christmas - after all, there are only c.40 days to go now ) but, in any case, Donna Nook Road is a very long road, as well as being a good hour's drive from BBH, AND which house/garden was the one ?

Freddy
PS. ....does any member know which one ?

I went on my annual pilgrimage today (Wed) to see the Seals at Donna Nook, where some 550 pups have been born so far this autumn. I spoke to the Seal Warden re Waxwings and he told me that the garden in question was that of "The Ark" on the left of Donna Nook Road as one leaves Donna Nook on the Exit Road.....the long Entry Road is called Marsh Lane. Seven Waxwings were seen there on Sun 13 and Mon 14 feeding on Hawthorn berries but none since. I checked the garden out a couple of times but with nothing to report.

However, I did manage to catch up with the Great Grey Shrike at Tetney Lock on the way home to BBH.

Freddy
PS> Donna Nook is very special.....over the years many birders have given it their seal of approval for the great birds that regularly turn up there and now every autumn many seals give it their approval.