Crossing paths

I saw my first Swallow of the year today, closely followed by my second. This is normally a moment to saviour as their arrival traditionally heralds brighter, warmer days, but those seemed so very far away as these two early arrivals battered their way north in the gently falling snow of Mayesbrook Park in East London. The birds, apparently the first for London this year, flew low - one no more than two or three metres from my boot and barely an inch above the surface of the shallow brook. This is behaviour typically observed in the most difficult conditions as birds attempt to glean whatever few insects may be about as well try and make use of any sheltered areas. Within a minute they had disappeared from view up the stream and over the houses in the distance. I cannot think of  a more apt sight to illustrate this desperate start to spring and the confusing, worrying signs of change.

We are in that funny period now as lingering winter migrants cross paths with spring migrants. Today, after the swallows, I came across an equally iconic winter visitor - Waxwings (I've never had those on the same day before!) The latter were present in the park when I arrived in the morning and I could hear their sweet trilling calls every now and then as I worked. Heading home later I was just outside the park when their calls filtered into my consciousness again and, looking up, I saw the tree in front of me was full of them! After a while they shot across the road and began feeding on a straggly Cotoneaster, conveniently placed right next to a bus stop. I followed and after a short wait using the bus stop as a temporary hide, they returned and gave amazing views just two or three metres from me. These migrants were no doubt faring better in the conditions but still have a long journey ahead. Amazing birds - probably won't see them again for a while so a good excuse for another round of photos...

Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus), Upney Lane, nr Barking, London, 4/4/13

The year the punks broke

It's been a fantastic winter for Waxwings in the UK - surely one of the best for the Scandinavian species in years. I was hoping for more opportunities to see them and this flock reported in a village park close to home were too good to miss.

Gratuitous Waxwing photos from Hextable Park, Kent, today:

The birds weren't present when I arrived but after a couple of minutes a large flock  appeared and settled in some bare trees in one corner...

They were flighty but not bothered by dog walkers ambling past, I counted around 86 birds in total in the flock

There wasn't a lot of fruit left in the perimeter hedge but every now and then the birds would fly down to feed on the last few rose hips...

This brassy bird flew to the ground right in front of me to salvage a loose rose hip...

...for a split second it cocked its head at me as if to say 'this is MINE! Get your own', before swallowing it whole. It was quite amazing to see actually, rose hips are fairly large...that'd be like me trying swallow a satsuma whole!? I wonder how many they're able to eat and how quickly they digest them?

Some awesome mohican action here

It's a shame the light was so poor today but the birds still gave typically confiding views. They were vocal too, continuously calling, sweetly, in that fashion often described as 'sleigh bells':

After around half and hour, the flock flew off, splitting in two and they hadn't returned when I left 15 minutes later. It seems like the birds are already starting to disperse quite rapidly southwards now, as their favoured berry sources are used up. Given that consecutive irruption years of this scale are unlikely, now might be a good time to find them. My Mum even got in on the Waxwing action this week, following a tip in Dartford, she went out and found her own - nice one! She's never done anything like that before, but who'd blame her?! They are such curious, beautiful birds.

A Boxing Day Buzzard

Mum and Dad excelled with their Christmas card to me this year:

'Watching Waxwings' by Vanna Bartlett, Acrylic on Canvas.
Published via Green Pebble, www.greenpebble.co.uk

I love it. It seems they're now as equally obsessed with Waxwings as I am. Every time we've been out recently Mum asks if I think we'll see any...maybe we'll be lucky I say. We didn't see any today on a hopelessly muddy and, in the end, aborted walk across Allhallows marshes. We did see a Buzzard though, from the car on the way back. "What's that over there?!" Dad said, pointing and gesturing at a field we were passing...I craned my neck, expecting a pheasant, but sure enough, there was a large buzzard sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of a bare, muddy field. It was probably only 20m away - I rarely ever see buzzards so close.

We pulled over nearby as it stood motionless in it's chosen puddle for a moment before flying off with a beat of its powerful wings. It cruised past us and into the distance where I was intrigued to see it start hovering with surprising ease. I've never seen a buzzard carry this off so well before and I thought back to the two Rough-legged buzzards I was spoilt with in the same area last year. I wondered, out loud...but although I couldn't find my bins in the mess of coats and rucksacks strewn throughout the car, this was not one I was sure. There was little hint of a pale rump or notable flexing or colouration of the carpal joints, it was instead, our own, a Common Buzzard - that judging by the horde of gulls that took its precise place in the field, had probably been feeding on earthworms when we saw it. I guess it's funny to think of a majestic 'bird of prey' splashing around in puddles, behaving like a Blackbird, but then food is food.

I took a useless picture through the windscreen as it passed us...not a Waxwing but a handsome bird nonetheless.

Finally!!!

You know what this post is about don't you?!

Yep, like everyone else I've spent much of the last week obsessing over the arrival of that most striking of winter migrants - Waxwings. After the memorable irruption year of 2010/11 when London was seemingly overrun with the blighters and I duly missed all of them (truly the winter of my dipcontent) I uttered quiet assertions about how I wasn't going to twitch waxwings this year, that I'd let them find me. Bold words.

Turns out it was complete nonsense too, since as soon as the first few flocks arrived in London and were showing signs of settling a bit, I was making plans. I'm weak for Waxwings but who isn't.

So last Friday, with a day off and a hazy wintery sun casting perfect shadows, I acted on a tip and headed down to Shirley near Croydon for the flock numbering around 30 birds that had been visiting a favoured Rowan tree on a housing estate for a couple of days. And lo, mid-afternoon, as I rounded the corner, there they were - easy as that.

Of course, as soon as we got out the car, they bolted and sat teasingly in some tall trees behind the housing estate:

But thankfully, ten minutes later they returned...

Bohemian Rhapsody: Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) feeding on Rowan berries -
Myrtle Ave, South London, 1/12/12 



Tuck in: note gorgeous rufous 'vent' and yellow-tipped rectrices



...and flippin hell, down to 10ft! The views were amazing, showing up the unique plumage details of these punk-haired scandi wonders. Among the 30 or so birds were a handful making their first raid on our Isles - first winter birds lacking the fully matured colourful wing markings that give them their name. The birds were feverishly stripping the rowan berries down to the last lower branches, accompanied by a handful of starlings and a single Redwing. They were pretty flighty, while every now and then a confused resident would wander past or stop in their car and ask why a random group of people were hanging around their street corner looking at a tree...

Wings are looking up...

It was really great to finally track these stunning birds down, couldn't resist a couple more shots (thanks Lisa!)...

I call this one 'self-portrait with Waxwings' (2012)

Top: Waxwings, bottom: twat

A brilliant afternoon, should be a good winter...