Waxwings are annual winter visitors to Britain in small numbers, and always attract considerable interest when they occur. Occasionally, though, many more arrive on our shores, and this looks set to be one of the best invasions on record, with flocks of hundreds in many places, odd flocks in excess of a thousand birds and with smaller flocks appearing almost anywhere.
SIGHTINGS
Thanks to a terrific response from birders/ringers/etc colour-ringed waxwing sightings away from Aberdeen have now reached over 90. Below is a quick list of the more recent records since the last update. Some of the birds have now reached the south coast. Many thanks to all.
The attached map shows all sightings up to end of Jan but the spreadsheet has "spread" into Feb a wee bit and hopefully includes all recent ringing totals.
A bird in Lane End, High Wycombe, Bucks on 19/1/5 may have been Y, Rob + Lin Merrick. This bird was seen in Merseyside 2 days previous.
Photo attached is scanned from a print courtesy of Darren Lakin. It shows YLY in Intake Cemetery, Sheffield 21/1/5. This is the Shetland bird recaught in Inverurie then resighted in Aberdeen on Xmas day.
RWG Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales 8/1/5 Tim Stowe....Exeter, Devon 22/1/5 Kevin Ryland/Nik Ward/Mark Bailey
YGL Inverurie 7/11/4 in Exeter, Devon 23/1/5 Nik Ward.
WGO Inverurie 8/11/4 Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire 22/1/5 Jonathan Mist (photo attached).
LWR up to New Year in Aberdeen then Hinckley Rd, Leicester 23/1/5 Carl Baggott/Don Peacock/Don Pither
WOG Inverurie 8/11/4 to Hinckley Rd, Leicester 23/1/5 Dave Bradley
RGL Aberdeen 12/12/4 Liverpool 23/1/5 Chris Galvin (see photo)-"the blotchy yellow utcs were noted as being unusual" at time of ringing.
RYO Inverurie 30/10 to 8/11/4 then 23/1/5 Easton, Bristol John Aldridge/Steve Preddy. Trevor Silcocks reported (L)R same flock, same day. Single Blue reported on 24/1/5 in Lawrence Weston, Bristol by Jackie Savery (per Ed Drewitt)
BY/YB + LRG/GRL in Southwater, West Sussex on 30/1/5 Jim Steedman.
BWR in Bristol 5/2/5 Dave Nevitt.
RINGING/RINGERS
Stuart Sharp has been having GREAT SUCCESS in Sheffield. 26/1/5 - 9 birds caught, 1 of which was Rosemary's bird from Forres (her 4th to be controlled from the 58 birds she ringed on 31/10/4). Also 2 cringed sightings, one of which (YW) had been seen by Kieran Foster in Warrington, Merseyside (c100km) 9 days previously.
Next day catch of 8 included YW + metal NW14705.......a Harry original from Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. A further 9 birds on 31/1/5, including his 4th control in less than a week, LBO, another cringed bird from Aberdeen.
AND THEN ON 4/2/5 31 caught including a FINNISH ringed bird! Also the same Forres bird as 26/1/5.
YW was then seen a week later in Bristol by Dave Nevit......and recorded back in Sheffield 2 days later.
Well done to all other ringers who have had a go and succeeded in catching at least a few. 10 in Wiltshire were the first for the county and its been ringing ticks all round with 3 in Leicester, 4 in Bristol and 3 in Stockport. Continued effort will be well worth it I'm sure. Aswell as Finnish controls to be had (!) it will be very interesting to see how much these birds move around in the midlands and southern England. We are getting lots of interesting "local" movements up here in Aberdeen (up to 140kms) amongst the birds which we are now regarding as "staying the winter".
Not a priority but we're only c40 short of 1000 waxwings ringed this winter......about 300 more than previous highest UK total.
Many thanks again, and please keep checking all waxwing flocks for colour-rings and having a go at ringing some more. There's lots of interesting information still to come from this once in a lifetime invasion.....and our last birds don't leave until early May.
Best wishes,
Raymond Duncan report colour ringed Waxwing
(Grampian Ringing Group) back to Waxwing main page
Update 6th March 2005
click to see Ray's latest summary