![\"Bombycilla](\"http:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File%3ABombycilla_garrulusII.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWaxwing (Andreas Trepte\/Wikimedia Commons)<\/em><\/p>\n Why the fuss?\u00a0 I think it\u2019s because waxwings are unlike any other bird I have seen and they are rare, at least in this country.\u00a0 They are plump, reddish-brown birds about the size of a starling and with their jaunty quiff of a crest they are unmistakable.\u00a0\u00a0 They also have a black mask around their eyes and it is the combination of crest and mask that gives them a pugnacious swagger rather like bank robbers in a silent movie.\u00a0 The wing feathers have small yellow and white details and distinctive red tips that resemble drops of sealing wax, hence the bird\u2019s name.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wing patterns and “sealing wax” tips (Amphis\/Wikimedia Commons)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Waxwings (or more properly Bohemian Waxwings) are found in the northern forests of Europe, Asia and North America where they breed, feeding on fruits, berries and insects.\u00a0 The European birds breed in northern Sweden and Finland and in the winter they head south in search of food.\u00a0 If breeding has been very successful or if there is a shortage of winter berries in Scandinavia they move further afield.\u00a0 Sometimes this means they come to the UK and we experience an \u201cirruption\u201d or \u201cwaxwing winter\u201d.\u00a0 2010 was one of these years and many of the birds were seen in the UK.\u00a0 2011 was a poor year and 2012 is looking good.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s now turn to my silly title.\u00a0 There are many good birding sites on the internet and I have been following the arrival of waxwings in the UK as 2012 comes to a close.\u00a0 The birds were spotted in Fair Isle, Shetland in early November and some outstanding pictures of the birds eating fruit <\/a>have been posted.\u00a0 They were also reported in good numbers elsewhere in Scotland and in other parts of the UK.<\/p>\n Some waxwings were seen, mostly in small groups, in the South West, near where I live and there were sporadic sightings throughout November and December.\u00a0 In late December a small group had been seen on consecutive days in one street in Torquay, feeding on berries.\u00a0 We had to go to Torquay for another reason and I persuaded my family that we should also search for these exotic visitors.\u00a0 This part of Torquay was developed about 40 years ago and consists of pleasant residential streets with mature trees and many mature shrubs with copious red berries at this time of year.\u00a0 Parking some way away from the place where the waxwings had been spotted we walked quietly up the road.\u00a0 Approaching the prescribed place we saw a small group of birds fly from a berry-laden hedge to a nearby tree.\u00a0 With binoculars we could see the signature crests of the waxwings and were able to count eight in total.\u00a0 The birds stayed in the tree, moving about and \u201ctalking\u201d to one another with their pretty and distinctive trill.\u00a0 We went home, well pleased with our luck.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s no longer \u201ceight maids a milking\u201d and here is a picture of our \u201ceight waxwings trilling\u201d.<\/p>\n Eight waxwings trilling (Hazel Strange)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019ve had bird books for many years: pocket-sized books with pictures and descriptions of the common British birds.\u00a0\u00a0 Not that I am a bird enthusiast.\u00a0 I just want to be able to identify the birds around me.\u00a0 If I am … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n