Planting Rowan to encourage Waxwings

[Bizzy Lizzy]

I saw my first and only Waxwing several years ago. Since then my eyes are peeled constantly around this time of year in the hope to see more.
I'm thinking about planting a Rowan or two at the bottom of my garden. Although I don't know how many years it would take for them to grow enough to encourage any passing waxes.

Have any of you guys ever purposely planted any trees or bushes to encourage a particular species? And if so, did you have success?

I'd especially love to hear if anyone has had Waxwings come to their garden, and if so what trees/bushes did they come to.

[nightshade]

The type of Rowan can make a difference, birds seem to shun some berries and lap up others and they come into berry at different times so two varieties may be a good idea. I thought that the supermarket plantings that attracted Waxwings were mainly Cotoneaster or Pyracantha both these plants are full of Redwings and Fieldfare after the berries every year.
Waxwings are often seen on the playing fields near here but the only ones I have seen were 20 miles away.

[The Woodman]

I have three Sorbus species in my garden including a Rowan. There are also Cotoneaster, Photinia and Hawthorn with berries. The only time I have seen waxwings in the garden they were stripping the Holly of its berries and didn't touch the others.

The Holly is absolutely loaded this year so I'm hoping they'll pay a visit.

[snackdahl]

I planted a selection of Pyracantha, Berberis, Oleaster, Cotoneaster, Dog Rose and Guelder Rose last month so I'm hoping to attract a selection of thrushes and hopefully waxwings over the coming years.

I was advised that birds prefer red berries, but I don't know how true this statement is?

[Brocakat]

Red & Orange seem to go before Yellow.

And do NOT plant Contoneaster conspicuous 'Decorus'. Its large bright red berries - for reason(s) I do not know - are not taken by birds.

[Dorts]

We have literally tens of thousands of Rowans around us here in this part of Snowdonia, but I have yet to see a Waxwing eating the berries. Plenty of Fieldfares and Redwings.
The ripe fruit on the true Rowan is quite large and not at all soft, (more like a little apple), so it may be better to go for a mix of the ornamental Sorbus who's fruits are often smaller and maybe more palatable to the evidently discerning taste of the Waxwing.
Dorts.

[JeffH]

I was out in Cambridge the other day watching/photographing a group of Waxwings that have been present in a particular suburban area of the city for more than 10 days now.

They have been feeding almost exclusively on the numerous rowans lining the roads concerned and it has been observed that they started on the lighter coloured berries before moving onto the red ones.

However, I'm not sure that just having one or two trees in a garden would be enough to attract them. I've got one red-fruited variety in my garden but, to my knowledge, have never had Waxwings visit.

Having said that, last winter I did have large numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares feeding on a Pyracantha bush right beside our front door

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls & Avocets)

[Tobyh]

I've planted a few berry bearing trees and shrubs but only popped them in last year - 2 Hawthorns, a rowan and a pyrocanthus. The size they are at this point isn't going to turn any birdy heads but I'm hoping in a few years time they will do. I'll be adding more this year also.

TobyH

[LauraC]

I moved into a new build house in Spring 2010 with a mud patch for a garden! Planted a Rowan tree over the summer, can't remember the variety but it has pinkish red berries, and there were waxwings on it in early December, stripping all the berries off!! Had never seen one before, so it came as a lovely surprise

Our tree is about 7 to 8 ft tall so it's still a youngster, so even newly planted trees can attract waxwings it seems!! Though the garden does back on to some wasteland with other trees on it, so that might have helped attract them!

[Madmills]

There is the option of buying 'established' plants/trees/shrubs which are specimens up to about 20' tall.
These are usually pot grown or grown in a hessian-type bag (which decomposes in the ground when planted) and provide an excellent start to a wildlife garden.

In the past i've used this method of planting when i've moved into gardens where there's been precious little in the way of planting and it makes a big difference to the local and garden wildlife.

I bought a cherry tree (about 12' tall) a few months ago and it's wonderful to see the birds coming to it already