Waxwing Winter?

V_Moth

Looking at Irishbirding, there seem to be a good number of reports of Waxwings all along the north and west coast, including a flock of 11 in Sligo this evening. Hopefully this is the start of a larger invasion over the coming months.

If you have any Cotoneasters or Rowan trees in your garden it may worth keeping an eye out. They will also go for Apples, which may also attract any wintering Blackcaps.

V_Moth

From Birdguides:

"Colour-ringed Waxwings: the Orkney Ringing Group have colour-ringed 150 Waxwings on the isles over the past week, and are keen to hear of any recoveries of these birds. If you see a colour-ringed Waxwing this winter, please email alan.leitch at rspb.org.uk."

magicbastarder

they were talking about this on the mooney show earlier - mentioned we were in for a good year due to the lack of berries driving them south, but that they would not find rich hunting grounds here.

V_Moth

Cedar Waxwing found about an hour ago on Belmullet, though unfortunately it flew off after about ten minutes. Only the second record of this North American species (note that the vent is white rather than the rusty red of "European" Waxwings).

Certainly adds a bit of interest for anybody lucky enough to find a flock of Waxwings this winter.

vandriver

About leaving out apple's.....

599021_580992265263760_742451486_n by carl cotter, on Flickr
Not my photo !

vandriver

This one is mine!

Waxwing by carl cotter, on Flickr

Desmo

Saw 40 out my front window yesterday morning in South Dublin and 20 this morning. They are gas. From a distance, in poor light, they look a bit like starlings. Clearly, up close they are are distinctive and have a distinctive call but they are easy to miss on dark winter days until you start looking out for them. It sounds like they are all over the gaff.

Des

Mabel

South Dublin eh? That's encouraging! Hope to see some this winter so! I have a mate up in Orkney and am getting very jealous of the pictures he's posting!

vandriver

Just seen 4 in a Rowan tree in Crumlin

olly_mac

I think a small flock of them passed through the garden earlier, but I was not fast enough to confirm it. But my impression was it was waxwings. I am in Dublin 8, near the canal. There are plenty of rowan trees about still in berries, so I will take a stroll tomorrow and keep the eyes open.

V_Moth

olly_mac wrote: »

I think a small flock of them passed through the garden earlier, but I was not fast enough to confirm it. But my impression was it was waxwings. I am in Dublin 8, near the canal. There are plenty of rowan trees about still in berries, so I will take a stroll tomorrow and keep the eyes open.

Sounds good. In flight, Waxwings can look very like Starlings, but have quite a distinctive call (see: http://www.xeno-canto.org/26604). The trees along Wilton Terrace and O'Connell still have loads of berries and would be well worth keeping an eye on for Waxwings.

olly_mac

I can confirm now that they are about. Decent sized flock, around 20 to 25, feeding on berries in the Brickfield park in Drimnagh this morning. They are very tame! If I had of had a camera I could have walked right up to them and snap away I need to get a decent digital!

Desmo

V_Moth wrote: »

Sounds good. In flight, Waxwings can look very like Starlings, but have quite a distinctive call (see: http://www.xeno-canto.org/26604). The trees along Wilton Terrace and O'Connell still have loads of berries and would be well worth keeping an eye on for Waxwings.

Thanks for the link to teh call; that is a very distinctive sound. I am glad I am not the only one who thinks they look like starlings.
There are records from all over Dublin and nearby counties now.

cameramonkey

Saw 30 waxwings in a tree earlier in Rathfarnham, they were chased off by a very angry thrush.

V_Moth

Three seen flying over the garden this morning . No idea where they were going as there are no rowan trees nearby.

Ulmus

I saw a flock of waxwings, maybe 40 birds, over O'Connell Street, Dublin, this morning, 11.20am. Some of them were eating the rowan berries in the pedestrian median opposite Dublin Bus.

Tabnabs

A large flock of about 50+ this morning outside the Old Mill pub (no puns please!) at Old Bawn crossroads. Stripping berries from the trees. Initially assumed they were starlings, but closer inspection proved otherwise.

olly_mac

20-30 of them along the canal this morning. There are very few berries left!

valo086

Hi Guys,

First off, i must apologize for the poor quality of the pics. Bad light, poor weather & my own ineptitude with a camera doesn't help!
Anyway, this is only the third time in my liftime (43yrs) that I have ever seen Waxwings & it is the first I have managed to capture them on camera. So here they are, possible ominous sign of a bad winter?











Pics taken today in Kiltalown, Tallaght.
Will try to get better pics if light improves & the Waxings a more co-operative?

Mark

Johnny max

There seem to be an invasion of these this year
Stunning birds

valo086

Rowan Tree berry massacre


The Thrush & blackbird population have been completely bamboozled by the military mass attack by the Waxwings on the berry producing flora in the area & have been protesting vigorously about it, all in vain!

Mark

Mickeroo

Anyone see any of these in the west? Plenty of rowan trees around here but I've never seen a waxwing

mitosis

Tallaght, again. Saw two small groups today.

V_Moth

Mickeroo wrote: »

Anyone see any of these in the west? Plenty of rowan trees around here but I've never seen a waxwing

I think every county has had a few Waxwings by now so I guess its just a matter of being patient. Also, have a look through the Irishbirding.com database for any recent sightings in your county.

BigBadDom

I have been enjoying watching a trio of these beauties feeding and just hanging about in my garden in Fingal. I only spotted them around 2.30, but they may of been there for hours before that. Are they know as beng territorial? I'm just hoping they stick around a while, they really are gorgeous little creatures.

valo086

BigBadDom wrote: »

I have been enjoying watching a trio of these beauties feeding and just hanging about in my garden in Fingal. I only spotted them around 2.30, but they may of been there for hours before that. Are they know as beng territorial? I'm just hoping they stick around a while, they really are gorgeous little creatures.

On my observation, I would say they follow the food & don't lay claim to anywhere in particular. The flock (60 or so) that I was observing in my neck of the woods, have moved on to greener pastures, in a manner of speaking.
They used an old Elm tree as a staging post, from which a smaller group of 20 or so would raid a tree or bush bearing fruit in the area for a few minutes, return to the Elm tree & the next group would have a go till almost every berry was stripped from the tree. A very military black ops style operation they had going on. Funny & fascinating at the same time!

Mark

Birdnuts

Finally got a piece of the action here in Blessington - a flock of 30 hanging around outside Dunnes this morning:cool:

BigBadDom

valo086 wrote: »

On my observation, I would say they follow the food & don't lay claim to anywhere in particular. The flock (60 or so) that I was observing in my neck of the woods, have moved on to greener pastures, in a manner of speaking.
They used an old Elm tree as a staging post, from which a smaller group of 20 or so would raid a tree or bush bearing fruit in the area for a few minutes, return to the Elm tree & the next group would have a go till almost every berry was stripped from the tree. A very military black ops style operation they had going on. Funny & fascinating at the same time!

Mark

I have a Rowen berry tree and that's what they were feeding on. There's maybe a dozen berries left now! The rest have been raided. There's some magpie nests near by however. They weren't around yesterday, nor were any crows, but they are back today. If the lack of beries doesn't keep the waxwings away, the ugly magppies will, damn them!

tororosso

Was driving by a school in Harold's Cross on Sunday morning when I saw a bunch of them perched on a tree. Stopped for a little while but couldn't stay long; however on the way back past the school they were still there and I was lucky enough to get a few shots off despite the awkward position of the sun right at camera level behind the trees!





I love the fact that these guys are showing up all over the place right now

trebor28

saw on irishbirding,com that they have been reported 5 miles away from me!
must keep an eye out for them and investigate further at the weekend!

BigBadDom

My trio of waxwings were back today around 3.30. So they are feeding around dusk, maybe they are there in the morning too. Lovely wee things and they seem smart enough to know when the bigger birds like crows, magpies and so on are not around.

padi89

Spotted my first Waxwings ever this morning in my neighborhood on the west side of Galway city, beautiful.

mr.wiggle

After 42 years,(and a bit), I've at last seen a waxwing here in North Cork.
Was walking around Donerail Park yesterday and spotted one rummaging in the undergrowth. Just stayed watching it until it got fed up at me and flew off.
Lovely sight indeed !

vandriver

I saw 46 in a tree in Rathmines yesterday lunchtime(yes,I counted them!)

gracielooks

Hi Vandriver, myself and my boyfriend live in Harolds Cross and wanted to head to Rathmines on Saturday for a gander at the Waxwings. Just wondering where exactly you've seen them? thanks in advance.

vandriver

gracielooks wrote: »

Hi Vandriver, myself and my boyfriend live in Harolds Cross and wanted to head to Rathmines on Saturday for a gander at the Waxwings. Just wondering where exactly you've seen them? thanks in advance.

I saw them on Louis Lane near the bottom of Leinster Rd

phonypony

About a dozen around D14 today, very pretty bird!

honeybunny1984

saw a single waxwing scoffin' berries whilst walking the dogs about an hour ago, never seen one before around here

vandriver

Saw a treeful on Clogher Rd today

ne1880

2 visiting my front garden the last few days, loving the halved apples and mellon that we are putting in the tree - saggart

Stoner

Blanchardstown Shopping Centre the week before last, not my picture.