Any ideas ? Well a flock of 21 (Bohemian) Waxwings that I had been watching a street away an hour earlier decided to descend on a lone cotoneaster just opposite my house after I returned to do some work on Monday 15th Feb. A pretty good window tick but, without sounding glib, we see them from the house every year only usually at the back (south side) of the house.
A better pic ( though with my 18-70 lens):
It was looking like a non Waxwing winter up here in Aberdeen but this ( the largest flock) at least made some interesting watching for a couple of days - I never tire of checking them for rings and listening to their trilling calls. Catching opportunities were somewhat limited as the birds were not visiting particular trees.
The weather has been really bad up here with quite severe snow. I have managed some crossbill surveying but mainly in mid Deeside, with only a few days out in the upper valley - my car has a habit of getting stuck in snow so I have been a bit cautious.
In mid Deeside there is the same number of Common Crossbills that were present before all the deluge of ice and snow in December and even a few Scottish Crossbills have been heard/recorded.
I have been exceptionally busy with real work plus some other bits and bobs - to all those who have been emailing me that I have not responded to please accept my apologies: it may be some time before normal service is resumed. The Crossbill breeding season is now upon us and for the next few months I will be wrapped up with that as well as trying to finish some writing up as well as call analysis. I am sorry but this stuff must take precedence along with all the work that pays the bills !
Keep tuned in as ther blog will have sporadic crossbill ( and ringing) updates.
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