Is it sad that?

[~T~]

I'm already eyeing up places where I would expect to see waxwings this year? I can't be the only one I noticed this weekend that in a pretty dodgy part of Glasgow city centre there is some waste ground with a lot of rowan trees absolutely festooned with berries. I'm gonna head over one weekend with my DSLR when the waxies have arrived and I'm sure I can get some great shots. I'll just have to keep an eye out for the local neds, junkies and other scum

[Farplace]

All my local rowen berries have already been nabbed by the mistle thrushes..... I have never seen a waxwing

[Shrike]

nope your not alone , me and pal always pointing out rowen and toniasrtra(i think thats there name)bushes as suitable for checking out this winter for a waxwing tick

[~T~]

Originally Posted by Farplace

All my local rowen berries have already been nabbed by the mistle thrushes..... I have never seen a waxwing

Yeh the ones on the waste ground behind my garden have been stripped by the starlings and blackbirds which was disappointing as I did see some waxwings there passing through in spring and hoped to see them feeding there. They do seem to eat berries that the commoner species leave behind. The ones I saw around xmas were feeding on berries off trees that I think are called whitebeams.

[tigertom]

No not sad, been doing the same makeing notes of local berry bearing trees, tend not to bother with Rowan as thrushes seem to get to them 1st, I look out for a common shrub/small tree that has red or yellow Berry's ( sorry don't no what it called). Did the same last year and the one befor, 1st year kept watch on all sites thought waxwings would visit with no joy, then last year found some new sites and kept watch on them with no joy only to find out later waxwing had been seen on three of sites I had watched year befor still yet to see one but if there is a few about this year hope I will see one at last

[tigertom]

catoniastra

Yep called something like that can be low growing shub small tree or big bush has either red or yellow berries in big bunches waxwings love them but other birds tend to leave them
MIKE

[~T~]

Originally Posted by tigertom

No not sad, been doing the same makeing notes of local berry bearing trees, tend not to bother with Rowan as thrushes seem to get to them 1st, I look out for a common shrub/small tree that has red or yellow Berry's ( sorry don't no what it called). Did the same last year and the one befor, 1st year kept watch on all sites thought waxwings would visit with no joy, then last year found some new sites and kept watch on them with no joy only to find out later waxwing had been seen on three of sites I had watched year befor still yet to see one but if there is a few about this year hope I will see one at last

I was really lucky as the little park square right across from my office seemed to be a magnet for them. I had only even learned the birds existed a few weeks before let alone see them at arms length. One afternoon returning from lunch they were all over the square right above peoples heads walking past and down on the ground with the pigeons. One even seemed to tray and land on a womans head who was watching them. They were there most mornings as I got to work even after all the berries were gone.

These were the best shots I could get with my crappy cam at the time.

[Deb London]

Yes, I'm doing the same. Discovering my first Waxwings last year was another one of my little "moments". Lots of berries this year.

Originally Posted by Shrike

nope your not alone , me and pal always pointing out rowen and toniasrtra(i think thats there name)bushes as suitable for checking out this winter for a waxwing tick

Originally Posted by tigertom

catoniastra

Yep called something like that can be low growing shub small tree or big bush has either red or yellow berries in big bunches waxwings love them but other birds tend to leave them
MIKE

Cotoneaster?

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by ~T~

I'm already eyeing up places where I would expect to see waxwings this year?

I would suggest that this opening sentence should read "I'm already eyeing up places where I would hope to see Waxwings ths year" - it's probably best not to get your hopes up yet!
Last winter saw a fairly exceptional movement of Waxwings, with unusually large numbers reaching the UK (more than I have ever known anyway). These 'irruptions' do not occur every year though, and there do not seem to be any obvious indications that a large irruption will take place again this winter - last year the arrival in the UK was preceeded by large numbers being seen in Scandinavia (I've just checked a Swedish website, and things look fairly normal with just a few largish flocks - although it is obviously still "early days" so things might change).

There's no harm in checking out where the best crops of berries are locally (I tend to do it subconciously every autumn), but to avoid disapointment, look at them as sites that may attract flocks of Redwings and other thrushes - perhaps with a few Waxwings if you are very lucky.

[earthdragon64]

There's no regular pattern to it, but I normally see Waxwings here in large numbers in roughly one out of every three winters, and either not at all or in very small numbers in other years. They certainly aren't annual winter visitors like Fieldfare and Redwing.

I've a yellow-berried Rowan and a red-berried Rowan in my garden that thrushes and Waxwings like, but usually the thrushes get there first. I've also a couple of Cotoneaster bushes as well as some Berberis. There's a garden near me which has a long Berberis hedge, which is a great place to see Waxwings if they are about, they seem to really like the berries.

I was delighted yesterday when a small group of Bullfinches were feeding on the yellow-berried Rowan. They're one of my favourite birds, but don't visit the garden much, this was only the 2nd visit to the garden this year.

Regards, Audrey.