Author: schwartzbirding

Waxwings in Barry!

On By schwartzbirdingIn SightingsLeave a comment

I’ve been scoping out some nice berry-laden trees recently, that I pass on my daily walk to the train station. This morning on my way to the station, empty of birds except a lone blackbird, but on the way back, I was very excited to hear a gentle trilling as I approached – rounded the corner, and bingo!!!

13 of the little lovelies – feeding on a rowan next to the car park of the council offices, a car park shared with Barry Leisure Centre. I watched them from 3:34-4:45, when they flew off and sat in a tree in Home Bargains car park. I’ll check again and report on twitter (@lizardschwartz) if they’re there in the morning!

Colour-ringed Waxwing, Cardiff

On By schwartzbirdingIn SightingsLeave a comment

Went to see the waxwings on Newport Road on Friday, and whilst attempting to get an accurate count of them, noticed that one of them was wearing at least ‘a’ red ring on its leg, but the angle was difficult, and it was doing that thing waxwings do when they hide their legs under their body feathers! Luckily it flew down to feed very close to me, and I was able to get some shots that confirmed it as metal over orange on the right leg, and triple red on the left.

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Sent the record off to the Grampian ringing group, and within the evening received a reply. Andy Burns seems to have also noticed the bird and sent in a report – here’s an excerpt from the reply:

Your bird was ringed as an adult female. We caught 16 birds from a flock of about 200 that day. The metal ring was NW59016  and was fitted on 15.12.16 at New Scone Perth (Grid Ref NO1426) at 12:30 hrs. The bird’s wing was 113mm and it weighed 62.9g.
This has been the only catch of waxwings in the “Tay” area so far this season although ringers in Grampian have caught 300+ this winter. We have had just two recoveries of birds from that catch so far – yours and another bird that was resighted in Aberdeen. It is intriguing that birds are moving so far in such different directions.
Really interesting to know that at least one bird was in Scotland 3 weeks previously, and worth keeping eyes peeled for any ringed birds in any other flocks we get around this winter.
Amy