Where've they all gone?

[IanP]

Compliments of the season to all!

Since the blackbirds came back, there's been a general increase in the visits of all the usual suspects. My garden backs on to fields and I've seen flocks of what I guessed were greenfinches, till the snow forced them a bit closer over the last few days. I was surprised and delighted to see a mixture (right phrase?) of reed buntings and yellow buntings repeatedly visit a hawthorn just outside the garden. This is the first time I've seen these birds so close to home.

I've also had a couple of song thrushes and a mistle thrush, most unusual, but driven into the gardens by the snow I suppose. Happy days!

[IanP]

It's happened again - no blackbirds seen for weeks. How do I know they don't come when I'm out? Because I always put out grapes and they're staying till they rot. Most other species are a bit sparse as well at the moment - harvesting in nearby farmland/hedges, I wonder?

On the other hand, I've seen my first waxwings, about 6-7 in all, in an urban garden setting. Did I hear something about this indicating a cold winter?

[Dogghound]

You often dont see many blackbirds in late summer due to them moulting, you then see large influxes of continental birds as well as our resident birds in autumn. However most birds feed on natural food at this time of the year as it is abundant. As this decreases im sure you will start to see more through the winter.

Waxwings come here in higher numbers when there is less food in Scandinavia such as berries. Often in hard winters larger numbers come over here due to lower temperatures and less food availability. Small numbers come to Britain each year regardless.