The Lincolnshire Bird Club

A friend reported that she had 11 waxwings in a lime tree outside her house at 14 Robins Crescent, Witham St. Hughs, yesterday morning. Cheers. Rick.

After a few Waxwing dips lately, I hoped that the stakeout at Louth yesterday (Sat) would bring success. My son, Alex, and I sat in the car in the "Boars Head" carpark for an hour or so from 11am but no Waxwings flew to the Cotoneaster berry tree between the snow showers.

Witham St Hughs has usually been a happy hunting-ground for me, so I was pleased to see Rick's post. I soon found No.14 Robins Crescent and the Lime Tree at c.11.30 this morning but there was nothing to report. Wandering around the Estate, I eventually came across 5 Waxwings in the Alders to the side of the large village green area opposite the Coop Foodstore on Hedge Lane. There was a distinct pair, with the male offering catkins and buds to the female. To my delight, within 10 minutes another c.50 Waxwings arrived and perched. They soon flew off, however, to the centre of the Estate.

Touring around in my car, I tracked them down at 12.30 to saplings behind No.1 Oak Tree Drive off Hedge Lane and near Rose Hip Walk. They were flying down and feeding on Cotoneaster berries just to the side of the house. I counted 56.

So, for anyone interested in Waxwinging in the general Lincoln area, there's a flock of over 50 at Witham St Hughs.

Freddy

I thought I'd return to Witham St Hughs today to see if there were still any Waxwings about. There were none by No 1 Oak Tree Drive and all the Cotoneaster berries had gone.

There was just 1 Waxwing by the large village green near the Coop Foodstore - perched in an Ash Tree and dropping down to feed in a back garden (1.15pm). I walked around the Estate and came across 18 Waxwings perched outside No.11 Robins Crescent (1.30). They were occasionally flying up and feeding on insects and also on the tree buds - in the same tree where a Bullfinch was bud-feeding on Sun 3rd Feb.

I returned to the first stakeout : the single Waxwing was still in the same tree (1.45). By 1.50, the 18 Waxwings had flown to a tree opposite No. 15 Robins Crescent.

Today's 2 sightings bring my total sightings since 11 Nov 12 (Hull) up to 40. In the whole of my 2010/2011 Waxwing season from 9 Nov 10-16 Apr 11, I recorded 37 sightings. My current list includes several large groups :

11 Nov..Asda Hull................130-140; smaller flocks of 20+
23 Nov..Tollbar Road Marston..45
26 Nov..Tentercroft St Lincoln..60
08 Dec..Burton upon Stather...250 (observers later saw c. 400)
16 Dec..Burton Waters...........100+
08 Jan..A46 near Swinderby.....48
03 Feb..Witham St Hughs........56

My total list adds up to just over 1000 Waxwings since 11 Nov.
All 40 sightings have been reported on the LBC website. I shall itemise them and hopefully others at the end of this Waxwing 'season'.

Freddy