Waxwings

 5 Waxwing flew NE over Green lane at approx 14:50. Per Alan Dawson.

Waxwing

Cloudy with a few rain showers, 8°, light SW.

Waxwings are an irruptive species in varying numbers that appear in the UK from Scandinavia through to eastern Russia.

This year has seen a moderate influx to our shores with sightings from Scotland and northern England and slowly moving south.

Over the last few weeks a few sightings have been in Oxfordshire and today 2 were seen briefly in a West End Garden before flying off. (Per Richard James).

Alan has since scoured the village but no luck on finding them.

The previous record in Cholsey was in February 2013 when 7 where seen.

This photo taken in Blewbury 2013.

Waxwings

Sunny spells, 4º, still a cold wind blowing, hope the weather changes soon!

A mixed day, went to Goring this morning to watch my daughter take part in a 10K race in which she completed in a very creditable 59 mins 12 secs, not bad for her first one!

Then went on to Lollingdon Hill apart from a single Raven two hundred plus Fieldfare and a Robin singing there was not much else.

Then went to Wantage to photograph some very colourful furniture for a friends blog, that she had recently finished painting, I then received a text to say some Waxwings had been seen in Blewbury, as it was on my way home I thought I would take a look.

On passing through Blewbury I noticed someone staring up in to a tree which said to me that they were still present. Parked the car and went to take a look and yep, nine Waxwing present, they were feeding on some haws from a couple of rose bushes and drinking from some puddles in a garden next to the main road through Blewbury.

I made a few phone calls and a little later Tony Williams arrived, a few passersby also stopped to take a look. We watched them until 17:10 when they flew off towards the Downs.

A very rewarding day in more ways than one and thanks to Alan Dawson who found the Waxwings!

Back home a Great-spotted Woodpecker has been drumming in the meadow recently and a Green Woodpecker has been very vocal. More song noted this last week with Blackbird, Wren, Dunnock all singing regularly along with the Robin and the Blackcap(s) still practising.

See Richard's Blog for other stuff in or near the garden as he is just over the road from me and the Rookery is between us! http://stuffthatricharddid.blogspot.co.uk/

 Hope the pics are not too boring but I have included a dozen of these stunning birds concluding with some of the Waxwing just before they flew off, sat in a tree and highlighted by the setting sun.

Waxwings!

Sunny, 4º, little or no wind.

Finally got our share of the Waxwings this week, a belated record of three in a private garden for one lucky observer!

Went in to Wallingford again today and the river level has dropped by around ten centimetres so providing no more rain it should continue to drop, although the water table is saturated that will take some time to even out......... More rain due for Sunday apparently!

A brief (one hour) visit to Lollingdon hill today just before dusk, a single Buzzard on the south side was about it but the hedgerow on the west and north side held over twenty Blackbird, five Song Thrush, three Redwing and a single Fieldfare finishing off the diminishing supply of haws and berries.

Three Corn Bunting and two Yellowhammer flew over and a single Jay seen, the Linnet flock was down to around fifty and ten plus Chaffinch present, also a small tit flock comprising Long-tailed, Blue and Great around twelve birds in all.

Forgot to mention quite a few Starling (c200) also feeding around the periphery of the various flooded areas yesterday.

          Common Buzzard, there briefly then off.