Whos keeping an eye on me....

Friday 8 February 2013

Waxwings - an invasion

This was fairly local, fairly easy to get onto, and possibly one of my greatest birding spectacles in the UK. Reports that yesterday someone had seen 280 Waxwings on a housing estate in Stockport, unforunatly I didnt pick this up until late that evening, so in trepadation the next morning I set off on the 20 minute journy in hope rather than expectation. Straight to the location and a single Twitcher confirmed that he had seen them  a few minutes before I arrived. ASparrowhawk had flushed them. A lone tree in a front garden was still carrying a few berries, not that many though as it had been well stripped of most of them the previous day. After a search of the area and a little wait longer in they came, you can hear the wing beats as they fly in. A telegraph pole was their sanctuary for now.
 
 
this image doesnt get then all in but we counted 120 at anyone time


 
Of course it was the food they were after
 






 
not long after another Sparrowhawk fly past caused them to disperse again and although they did return, this time the flock was alot smaller, 30+.
Even one of the neighbours came out and made me a cuppa..... easy birding this.
Happy Day! s
 
 


11 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

love that 'fireworks' shot at the top. :)

HansHB said...

A very good WBW post!

eileeninmd said...

Wow, amazing number of Waxwings there! And I love the closeups. Great shots of this pretty bird!

mick said...

Great photos and amazing to see that many all together.

Karen said...

These are excellent captures! I'd be happy to see one!

Kusum said...

Beautiful bird- waxwing!

Stewart M said...

WOW! Thats a lot of waxwings - it would seem that you are having a great winter for them this year.

Cheers and thanks for linking to WBW

Stewart M - Melbourne

i stora drag said...

Very colourful pictures of this beautiful waxwings you got there and with sunshine too of some! I have never seen a waxwing!
Thanks for your comment! We have had grey and boring weather most of February, sunshine two days.
Greetings Pia

KristiBowmanDesign said...

I've never seen one let alone an invastion, great pictures of beautiful birds!!

Pat said...

These birds are so beautiful!

Wally Jones said...

May all your birding be so easy!

Wonderful photos of these beauties!