Bird Identification

[kangarooz]

Sorry I can't seem to upload the pics I have, but they arent to good quality either, the only think I could mange is the pic on my profile/avatar.

I am not a bird expert but I know most of the main ones and I have a simple bird book but this bird I just can't place. We have all the common ones in the garden but it doesn't look like an 'common' one I have seen unless the cold weather has altered their appearance.

Hopefully you can see something in the pic, it is sized between a greenfinch and a starling and what really confused me was the 'quiff ' on its head which I haven't seen before, unless it is a feature of a common bird that only shows in winter!

Hope that makes some sense!

[Hedera]

Waxwings????

[Farplace]

I think waxwings too

[david156]

Agree with the above. Waxwings. Cracking birds and a bit easier to see this year than normal.

[actionfinch]

waxwings
ill forth that proposal

[kangarooz]

Yes thank you all, I just typed in waxwing on google images and it was definatly them I saw!

I don't know why my pics wont load they just keep 'exceeding the limit' even though I have cropped them.

The RSPB: Waxwing

Am I reading this right? Do only 100 birds come for winter or am I just misunderstanding?

[Deb London]

Your pictures probably need resizing. There is a variety of image editing software that will do this.

Well done for spotting a Waxwing. It's proving to be a good year for them, I guess the number seen so far must be in the thousands.

[solus]

Originally Posted by kangarooz

Am I reading this right? Do only 100 birds come for winter or am I just misunderstanding?

I suppose this may be true on average BUT some winters (and this is one of them) we have what are known as "irruptions" when many hundreds or even thousands arrive from Scandinavia to feed on our berry crops, presumably because for whatever reason there are insufficient "back home". Some winters only a handful of Waxwings are reported across Britain and then often only in the north/north east. In irruption years they often (eventually!) spread out so can be seen anywhere, although the north and east still seem to have the lion's share. I think over 3000 birds have been recorded in the UK so far this winter!

[kangarooz]

Well this was the best I seem to be able to upload, but they were defiantly waxwings after checking online, prob in a flock in roughly 12.

Never seen them before so was nice to see something different.

[Wild-Woman]

Well done. One of the lucky ones that get them in the garden. Enjoy them whilst they're here, Scandinavia is their homeland.