Waxwings in Swansea

Some beautiful Bohemian Waxwings turned up in Winch Wen in the East of Swansea, back in January, 2017. I just had to head over there to take a look. Having taken many photos of these birds before, I took my video camera this time, as they fed on Cotoneaster berries in the car-park of a department store:

Winter's Last Waxwings?

I had the chance today, Thursday, to nip across the border to Bristol, my mission being to look for the flock of twenty or so Waxwings that had been hanging around in the Clifton area for a few days. I got to the area about 3.45 p.m., and, sure enough, there they were perched high in a tree outside a primary school:

Every so often, a few would dive down into someone's garden to grab a few cotoneaster berries. I felt (and no doubt looked) suspicious, hanging around outside a school gate toting a big lens, but I was able to get a couple of shots, before the flock flew off over some houses at 4.15 p.m.:

It could be some years before we get another Waxwing invasion, so it was good to get another chance to clap eyes on these beauties.



Cwmbran Waxwings

Yesterday, I went up to Cwmbran in Gwent, as I had heard there was a flock of Waxwings showing well there. I found the location easily enough, and spent a couple of hours in the afternoon sunshine attempting to photograph these lovely birds as they periodically descended into two white-berried Rowan trees - when the aggressively-territorial local Mistle Thrushes would allow them. Cliff Woodhead - who had been there since 10.30 a.m., and was there most of the time photographing alongside me - had counted 38 birds in the flock. The problem was that the Waxwings tended to land on the far side of one of the two trees, and so were often in shade, although the berries on which they feasted were lit by the sun. Also, as anyone who has watching Waxwings feed will know, these birds don't stay still for long, and feed in frenzied bursts, before retiring to nearby taller trees to digest their meal.

Anyone, I managed a handful of reasonable shots:

The coveted 'berry-in-mouth' shot:



Just after Cliff left about 3.45 p.m., the Waxwings flew off westwards over the nearby houses, although they have apparantly returned again today. If they hang around a few more days, I may just head up there again, and bore any remaining viewers I might have with even more Waxwing shots!

Christmas Bonus - a Waxwing!

At 2.15 p.m., I was walking down the road near my house, and passed a large cherry tree which has begun to attract a plethora of birds during this cold weather. I stopped to watch the local thrushes and Blackbirds compete with hordes of incoming Redwings for the berries. I started to move on, when I suddenly looked up and saw a Waxwing perched on a branch in front of me. Woohoo! Always a delight to see this beautiful bird, and even better when it's a five-minute walk from home (and only about a hundred yards from where I saw a single Waxwing about a month ago). I took a few pictures with the camera and small lens I had in my bag, before rushing home to get my biggest lens - a 500mm. I had been on my way somewhere else, but it could wait - for a Waxwing. I thus spent the next hour lurking suspiciously in suburban shrubbery, toting an unfeasably large lens, and doing my best to get a few decent shots of this bird as it fed towards the top of two cherry trees (there was a much smaller tree of the same species next to the big one):

Whilst waiting for the Waxwing to come within range, I was able to get a few shots of the very approachable Redwings:

About 3.35 p.m., the Waxwing flew into another roadside tree, where it sat for a couple of minutes, before flying off roughly westwards over the houses. Hopefully, it will be back tomorrow!

Waxwings - At Last!

The cold weather has brought an influx of the beautiful Bohemian Waxwings into Britain, including into south Wales. In the last couple of weeks, I've had fruitless trips to Cardiff and Ebbw Vale in pursuit of these avian aristocrats. (They had always left before I arrived, but often reappeared after I'd gone!)

I half expected today to be third time unlucky as I headed out before dawn under a clear, starry sky for Monmouth, where a flock of twenty or thirty of these birds has been reported for a couple of days.

Unfortunately, Monmouth was shrouded under a heavy fog, the surrounding countryside being beautified by a thick coat of hoar frost.

Anyway, I went to the location I had been given, and there were the birds, about twenty, mostly roosting in a nearby tall tree; but, in rotation, a few would fly down to feed on a white-berried Rowan tree on a grassy area in front of some flats. Conditions were not ideal for photography, with the low light and thick frost. "You should have been here yesterday!", a local man said to me, when the sun had been shining brightly. So, I'd come on the wrong day, but at least the birds were here!

I began taking some pictures, setting the camera to ISO 800, and hoping my handholding skills were up to holding my 500mm f/4.5 lens steady at shutter speeds from 1/320th to 1/500th of a second.

Here are a few of the shots: