Waxwings 2013/14

Judgement Day

No explosion this year - so far!

According to http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web there has only been a solitary sighting, of four birds, in Omagh, County Tyrone on the 1st December. Any sightings please post here - especially if they reappear on Dublin's O'Connell Street.



Photo: http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/

Kess73

Saw some over the weekend but none in Ireland


There were loads of them around this time last year. Seemed to spot them all over the place during the winter of 2012.

V_Moth

Also a report from Monkstown, South County Dublin at the end of November. As far as I am aware, there aren't any significant numbers of Waxwings moving through Britain at the moment so a large invasion like last year is unlikely at the moment.

However, it is well worth checking any conifer woodlands for Crossbills - large numbers of Two-barred and Parrot Crossbill have been seen across the water in the last few months. There are about 5-6 records of Two-barred and no submitted records of Parrot in Ireland*.

Other significant movements include large numbers of Snowy Owls in the US (every chance one or two could turn up in bogland on the west coast) and Hawk Owls in northern Europe, though very unlikely one of the latter will end up here

*There is a good claimed record from Belmullet in autumn a few years ago.

Capercaille

V_Moth wrote: »

Also a report from Monkstown, South County Dublin at the end of November. As far as I am aware, there aren't any significant numbers of Waxwings moving through Britain at the moment so a large invasion like last year is unlikely at the moment.

However, it is well worth checking any conifer woodlands for Crossbills - large numbers of Two-barred and Parrot Crossbill have been seen across the water in the last few months. There are about 5-6 records of Two-barred and no submitted records of Parrot in Ireland*.

Other significant movements include large numbers of Snowy Owls in the US (every chance one or two could turn up in bogland on the west coast) and Hawk Owls in northern Europe, though very unlikely one of the latter will end up here

*There is a good claimed record from Belmullet in autumn a few years ago.

The female Snowy owl from the Belmullet is a regular for the last 7-8 years. I saw her when she was a juvenile bird there. She is thought to spend time also on bogs in Mayo. No sign of her this year yet.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Capercaille wrote: »

The female from the Belmullet is a regular for the last 7-8 years. I saw her when she was a juvenile bird there. She is thought to spend time also on bogs in Mayo. No sign of her this year yet.

That's one old waxwing. I thought the estimated lifespan was 5 years, with the oldest ringed records 2 years 11 months. Is this bird ringed? And if so has the sighting of the ring been recorded?

OpenYourEyes

Santiago Low Tray wrote: »

That's one old waxwing. I thought the estimated lifespan was 5 years, with the oldest ringed records 2 years 11 months. Is this bird ringed? And if so has the sighting of the ring been recorded?

I suspect there's been a mix-up between posters between the Waxwings, Crossbills and Snowy Owls.....

V_Moth

Santiago Low Tray wrote: »

That's one old waxwing. I thought the estimated lifespan was 5 years, with the oldest ringed records 2 years 11 months. Is this bird ringed? And if so has the sighting of the ring been recorded?

Capercailie was referring to a Snowy Owl.

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I suspect there's been a mix-up between posters between the Waxwings, Crossbills and Snowy Owls.....

Sorry, I went a bit off topic

V_Moth

There are increasing numbers of Waxwings being reported from northern Germany (flocks of >100) and eastern England, so it looks like food supplies are beginning to run low in Scandinavia for the species. It seems likely that one or two may start to appear in Ireland in late January/early February.

Del.Monte

They're back - on the north coast anyway and an advance party in Co.Kildare. More sightings already this month than 2014 and 2015 put together according to http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web

Fingers crossed that we will get to see them back in Dublin again. Please post here if you hear of any sightings.

vandriver

Del.Monte wrote: »

They're back - on the north coast anyway and an advance party in Co.Kildare. More sightings already this month than 2014 and 2015 put together according to http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web

Fingers crossed that we will get to see them back in Dublin again. Please post here if you hear of any sightings.

To keep you going,one of my photos of last time(Liffey Valley)

Waxwing by carl cotter, on Flickr

addisb

That is a really beautiful photograph. Well done. I have only every seen waxwings on one occasion, when I was a young lad in Harolds Cross. I could point out the exact spot to this day !