I started the morning around Ladies Pool. Last week I had connected with my 1st Brambling of the season around there, and yesterday I had noted the return of a Little Grebe, which seems to favour this spot at this time of year. Today there was a single ♀ Goosander at the furthest reaches of the lake, perhaps a result of the all the flooding locally ?
I was heading back to the car for the next leg of the patch tour, when I received news of 3 Waxwings just down the road at Rowberry's !
This was excellent news. Waxwings seem to have been popping up in every bloody county that borders Worcestershire lately, whilst stealthily avoiding my neck of the woods. Anyway within 10 minutes I was pulling onto the car park of Rowberry's, hoping they were still around.
As soon as I opened the door I heard their lovely ringing call and enjoyed the birds coming down onto berries just a few feet away. After a few minutes it became evident there were more than the reported 3, and soon I counted 8 on site.
News had spread amongst the local Birders and there were soon half a dozen familiar faces there enjoying these exquisite birds, including Craig R, aka Midlands Birder . You can read about his encounter sometime in the New Year ( only joshing MB !). Craig kindly let me have a butcher's in his scope of the mature adult male, the only 1 amongst the 8.
I will get my excuses in first, the light was actually quite tricky, and totally against for the closest views, so pics were a bit of a zooming compromise, but hey ho, it was a great Sunday local mini twitch and social, and what better winter migrant to grace it !
Nice birds aren't they. I think your photos have actually come out really well. They look a treat against the blue sky
ReplyDeleteThey are great birds, and ones that personally, i cant resist going to see.
ReplyDeleteSometime in the new year sounds about good. haha.
Great photos, much better than mine, with them constantly flitting around it was hard to get the scope on them in time(Excuses)
MB
Jase, cheers these are the pick of the bunch, and last time I saw them it was in fog,with a hoarfrost so that blue sky was welcome after the rain of late
ReplyDeleteCraig, I agree, they really tick all the boxes and ring all the bells for me too !
great photos, glad they have made it down to you, they seem to have cleaned out all the Berries up here in North Wales and moved on, but been great for us photographers. Just came across your blog, will have a closer look now.
ReplyDeleteThe images are splendid Mark, a great sighting for you!
ReplyDeleteI am still waiting for Waxwings locally to me!
Thanks Garry, always nice to get feedback.
ReplyDeletePam, hope so, you cannot have too much of these lovely birds IMHO