# General > Birdwatching >  Waxwings in garden

## Chrisf1961

Just seen about 30 of these in my garden, they were flying between a tree and bushes (guess they were feeding) and they then sat in the tree for ages, Wasn't sure what they were so had a look on here at photos and also on the RSPB finder & definately them, listened to them for a while, lovely birds, shame I couldn't get photos as its dusk

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## gleeber

Brilliant.
It was waxwings that gave me a buzz for birds about 20 year ago. Prior to that I never say anything other than a starling or a gull.  I saw 3 of them and thought they had escaped from an aviery. I started to notice birds after that.

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## Kenn

I've just gone a delicate shade of green, have spent many an hour looking but not so much as a feather.

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## Chrisf1961

Wasn't even looking, just happened to look out of the window as they all flew in, thought they were starlings or something at first then when they were flitting in and out of the tree I noticed the colour and went out to investigate, just a shame I couldn't get a photo

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## dafi

Waxwings are pouring out of northern europe at the moment. Sightings are coming in to bird guides from all over the UK. We have the best flocks we have had for ages on this side of the water so im sure ther must be plenty about Caithness as well. One of the best ways to attract them to your garden is to offer them fruit. Apples halfed and spiked up in bushes or chopped up on the bird table or lawn can bring in foraging birds. This is a seasonal treat so i would advise you to get the fruit out and see what comes about....good watching!!

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## Lingland

You lucky person I have never ever seen one but the fruit goes out tomorrow.

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## dousslesh

Just posted on another similar thread- Saw a Wax Wing for the first time today in our garden in Roster ( Near Lybster) Only the one though.
 Will also put out fruit tomorrow as suggested

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## kas

> I've just gone a delicate shade of green, have spent many an hour looking but not so much as a feather.


LIZZ I saw one about fifty meters from your house yesterday.
Reay has always been a good spot for them.
Find their call on the net and listen to it. Then go outside and listen for it. Seems like a major invasion this year and its early too. 

Dafi That has to be my favouriote photo ever put on the org.

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## dafi

Cheers Kas im truely flattered!!

Here is a link to here the calls, Listening for the distinctive calls is one of the best ways to find a flock near you. Once you have you wont ever forget it again!!

http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=10

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## Kenn

Stunning shot dafi...............
GRRRRR kas, I will be listening with both ears the next few days but with the racket the geese and swans have been making I will be lucky to catch that sound!

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## Wick66

Came across a small flock, about 15 to 20 of them late yesterday afternoon at Proudfoot. All sitting in a bush and they let us get very close before flying off across the bay.

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## moses

6 or 7 waxwings feeding on berries in a bush at Haster on Monday,

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## Chrisf1961

It that Proudfoot rd in Wick as i live around that area ?

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## Wick66

> It that Proudfoot rd in Wick as i live around that area ?


Yes, they were in some bushes beside the path leading to the north head. It was their song that I first noticed.

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## TopCat

about 20 sitting in a garden in Keiss this morning.

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## Liz

Have never been lucky enough to see Waxwings but will put fruit out in the hope that I will. Unfortunately can't put fruit on my lawn as my dog will eat it! :: 

I agree with Kas in that your photo is stunning Dafi! :Grin:

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## nemosia

Cracking shot Dafi. 

I saw a 5 in flight over Thurso on Monday but finally caught up with a flock of 72 this afternoon at Thurso East (roadside next to Lady Janet's Wood).

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## Scunner

What berries are they feasting on, in general - looks like rowans in the picture

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## nemosia

> What berries are they feasting on, in general - looks like rowans in the picture


I think these are hawthorn berries.

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## gleeber

> I think these are hawthorn berries.


Fantastic photos. 
Definately candidates for bird of the month photo. 
If I had to choose it would be dafis little and large, but only choost.

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## Scunner

thanks for that, have hawthorns somewhere,  the only time I had them in the garden, they were feasting on honeysuckle berries.

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## Chrisf1961

Thanks everyone for replying .we dont really know a lot about birds but hoping soon to pop some feeders up etc ,super looking birds arnt they!

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## Liz

What lovely photos Nemosia! They are so clear.

They are such beautiful birds so hope I can encourage them to come into the garden. Still trying to decide where to put the fruit so my dog can't eat it! ::

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## mufasa

coming along thurso road today waxwings feeding on berries along from the coop beautiful birds :Grin:

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## nemosia

Found a flock of 175 waxwings at Kirkfield, Olrig this afternoon.



Actually Scunner I reckon the berries are some kind of sorbus and not hawthorn after all.

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## Scunner

thought they were rowans , thanks anyway

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## highland red

Still not seen one :Frown: 

fantastic photos though.

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## dafi

I have just been reading this interesting article i found on the waxwing thread over on birdforum.net.


http://birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=2370

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## nemosia

Still 250+ waxwings around Olrig and 40+ at Thurso East this afternoon. Lots of fieldfares at Olrig today as well.

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## Kevin Milkins

I only just noticed this thread, wow, what great photos. :: 

I posted Mrs M's sightings on Lizz's thread that at first glance I thought was about Waxwings, I must slow down a bit. ::

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## nemosia

Get over to Castletown. Had single party of 450 on wires near the school and 200 at Olrig. Small parties and individuals all over the town and 200 reported at Castlehill.

Here's a few of the birds near the school.

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## nemosia

The waxwing flock at Kirkfield, Olrig was over 1000 birds this afternoon. Incredible.

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## Hogfather

Cracking pics! Only seen one so far this year (odd since they are flockers?) feeding on our whitebeam - that yellow tail tip really catches the eye  :Grin: 
Will keep an eye out for more, but think the redwings are in the process of scoffing all the berries.

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## Liz

Wow nemosia, lucky you for seeing all these beautiful  birds in one place!!!

Great photo. :Grin:

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## nemosia

> Wow nemosia, lucky you for seeing all these beautiful birds in one place!!!
> 
> Great photo.


Very lucky indeed Liz.  This year's waxwing invasion looks set to break all records.  And thanks to all for your comments.

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## dafi

Thats well smart, it is one of the biggest flocks in the UK at the moment!! I would love to have seen them in such numbers.

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## kas

WOW WOW WOW I dont believe it.........................
That is like an amazing sight. To think I was delighted seeing one last week. 

Great photos nemosia. Can you believe I was at work Thursday, Friday and then had to go to Inverness today whilst getting all these messages about the flock number building up. They wqere also spotted today in my neighbours garden.

Roll on tomorrow morning.  :Wink:  :Wink:

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## highland red

Still not seen one, but have been working all week. ::

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## Ricco

Sadly, we don't get them this far south.  :Frown:

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## nemosia

> Sadly, we don't get them this far south.


How far south are you?  A few waxwings have made it to Kent and South coast of Sussex.

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## nemosia

The big flock was still at Olrig this morning.

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## Kenn

Yehaaaaa.......does a little jig,finally got to see them.
Small flock up near Olrig House and another down at Castlehill.

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## Ricco

> How far south are you? A few waxwings have made it to Kent and South coast of Sussex.


Oh wow!  There is hope for me yet.  When I lived in Canada they were my fav winter bird.  (in the summer it was the Flicker and the Golden Oriole... oooh, and the hummingbird)

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## Scunner

Are they all around the coastal areas, or can anyone tell me if they have moved inland yet.  I'm still waiting to see them, but will be forced to go out on the road tomorrow.

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## kas

Not sure how widespread they are inland but if you can get to Castletown tomorrow morning then I would go. I spent most of the day there and it was quite something to see. The best views was in the small wooded area opposite the Heritage Centre, and there is still plenty berries in there for them if they stick around.. The telephone wires between the football field and Heritage centre was full of them. Good luck if you do try.

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## singysmum

We moved into our house 4 years ago and there was no garden or trees at that time. I have spent the intervening time trying to make a garden in order to attract birds and wildlife. On Wednesday I saw a bird feeding on the few cotoneaster berries that have grown and was amazed to see it was a Waxwing! Makes all the hard work worth it even if we only had 2 of them - they are so lovely. Fingers crossed for more visitors next year.  ::

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## Liz

> We moved into our house 4 years ago and there was no garden or trees at that time. I have spent the intervening time trying to make a garden in order to attract birds and wildlife. On Wednesday I saw a bird feeding on the few cotoneaster berries that have grown and was amazed to see it was a Waxwing! Makes all the hard work worth it even if we only had 2 of them - they are so lovely. Fingers crossed for more visitors next year.


Like you I've been making the garden attractive to birds and wildlife and have a huge cotoneaster hedge but it has never flowered and so no berrie. :Frown:  Wonder why?

Lovely that you got a couple of Waxwings in your garden! :Grin:

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## radiohead

had 4 in the garden today, but not as clourful as the photos....is it a maturity thing????

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## Aaldtimer

> Oh wow! There is hope for me yet. When I lived in Canada they were my fav winter bird. (in the summer it was the Flicker and the Golden Oriole... oooh, and the hummingbird)


 
Waxwings in Canada? ::

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## Pterodroma

Two species of Waxwing occur in Canada. The species we have over here, which in North America is called Bohemian Waxwing, and the slightly smaller Cedar Waxwing which has occurred in the UK as an extremely rare vagrant.

In North America Bohemian Waxwing has the more northerly and westerly breeding area and in winter gets as far south as Colorado, while the Cedar Waxwing breeds across southern Canada and northern USA and reaches Mexico in the winter.

Ricco is correct!

Pterodroma

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## nemosia

> Ricco is correct! 
> Pterodroma


However I think Golden Oriole probably refers to Baltimore Oriole although Bullock's and Orchard both make it into Canada. Am I right Ricco?  These are icterids, a different family to our Eurasian Golden Oriole.

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## nemosia

As for the waxwings, there were around 600 at Castlehill at first light but the majority had flown off to the west by 08:00h.  A few lingered for a couple of hours and there were just 5 at Olrig.  Hopefully that's not the last we see of them this winter though.

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## Skifter

I passed by the Castletown Heritage Centre abot 11.30 this morning and there were well over a 100 waxwings in the trees beside it.

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## nemosia

> I passed by the Castletown Heritage Centre abot 11.30 this morning and there were well over a 100 waxwings in the trees beside it.


Excellent.  Thought there would be a few hanging around somewhere.  They've made it into the winter atlas in good numbers.

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## cuddlepop

There were about 20 of them flying about Portree most of last week
.
Think they've had their fill of berries though as there's no sign of them today.

Beautiful sight,absolutely no road sense,terrified we were going to hit the ones walking on the road. ::

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## Aaldtimer

> Two species of Waxwing occur in Canada. The species we have over here, which in North America is called Bohemian Waxwing, and the slightly smaller Cedar Waxwing which has occurred in the UK as an extremely rare vagrant.
> 
> In North America Bohemian Waxwing has the more northerly and westerly breeding area and in winter gets as far south as Colorado, while the Cedar Waxwing breeds across southern Canada and northern USA and reaches Mexico in the winter.
> 
> Ricco is correct!
> 
> Pterodroma


 
Thanks for info Ptero, very interesting.  :Smile:

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## Ricco

> Waxwings in Canada?


Ooh, aye! Over there they are called Cedar Waxwings.  :Grin:

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## annemarie482

there must have been around 20 in my mums garden in keiss this morning!

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## Violetsky

Just saw 3 Waxwings in my garden in Groats
Have never seen anything but the normal sparrows, starlings, robins etc before
So I just had to log on and let you all know, as if it was not for this post I would not have had a clue what they were - Thank you

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## dafi

Brill Violetsky.!!!Good for you!!

 I think that is exactly what it is all about, The more folks that get to see and enjoy birds the better!!

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## Liz

Oh why aren't they coming to my garden?!!! :: 

I so want to see them before they move on.

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## r.rackstraw

2 Waxwings at Brough this morning. Lots at Castlehill.

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## goldfinch

some great pics of the wax wings cant say ive seen any in my garden yet (heres hoping)loads of other birds in my garden my fav beeing the goldfinch suprise suprise,thanks to my friend karen after her advice about niger seed i now have up to fifty goldinches at a time in my garden from an original 2.

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## essex boy

saw 4 waxwings down our track in Lyth today, my first ever sighting! :Grin:

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## kas

After years of waiting 15-20 finally dropped into my garden. I wasnt at home but the family got photos for me. I had stuck apples and pears out to try and attract them, and it worked. Now I have to hope they pop in on Saturday when I will be here to see them.

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## Liz

> After years of waiting 15-20 finally dropped into my garden. I wasnt at home but the family got photos for me. I had stuck apples and pears out to try and attract them, and it worked. Now I have to hope they pop in on Saturday when I will be here to see them.


Oh that's great! What a shame you missed them though. :Frown: 

I am going to put apples out tomorrow so hope these will attract them. :Grin:

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## mushroom

we had 2 waxwing in the garden this morning , they were on the bird table, beautiful birds. 

The Atomics Thurso

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## kas

Great to know there are still some about. I had them 12 days running in my garden, with 45 one day. I have not had any to my knowledge since Sunday though. Apples were the secret.

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## jc.sutherland

> Just seen about 30 of these in my garden, they were flying between a tree and bushes (guess they were feeding) and they then sat in the tree for ages, Wasn't sure what they were so had a look on here at photos and also on the RSPB finder & definately them, listened to them for a while, lovely birds, shame I couldn't get photos as its dusk


 have seen 5or6 waxwings today just up in the trees from the heritage centre

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## Liz

> Great to know there are still some about. I had them 12 days running in my garden, with 45 one day. I have not had any to my knowledge since Sunday though. Apples were the secret.


Oh lucky you but glad you got to see them.  I put apples out in a nut feeder but no sign of Waxwings. ::

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## Liz

Brilliant photo by the way Kas! :Grin:

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