Some are predicting a Waxwing winter and they are already starting to arrive.
twitter.com/.../1584652654126698496
My Flickr photos
Certainly plausible. Might be because I'm looking out the window more than prev years.....but there are definitely more redwings about at this stage than normal Octobers and in the last few days, a lot of blackbirds appear to have also arrived in the garden......probably almost as soon as I typed in another post agreeing with how few there are in UK this year!
From seven days ago
www.birdguides.com/.../
Looking at the hawthorns, mountain ash and whitebeam in my locality they could struggle with a lack of berries in the UK.
Historically.
Place where I used to live had a healthy couple of mountain ash (one named type, one wild sown, quite probably by a bird) in the garden. One year whilst living there there was a major waxwing irruption. The local blackbird (who was jealously guarding the berries) became visibly upset when the flock of waxwings stripped the berries in 30 minutes.
www.birdguides.com/.../
Looking at the hawthorns, mountain ash and whitebeam in my locality they could struggle with a lack of berries in the UK.
Historically.
Place where I used to live had a healthy couple of mountain ash (one named type, one wild sown, quite probably by a bird) in the garden. One year whilst living there there was a major waxwing irruption. The local blackbird (who was jealously guarding the berries) became visibly upset when the flock of waxwings stripped the berries in 30 minutes.
With the incredible heat we had in this country putting all our fruiting trees under stress causing the berries to ripen earlier, I wouldn't be surprised if the same happened in Northern Europe.
If that is the case, there may be an eruption heading this way and we could be in for a treat! However, a lot of the berries I've seen have already started to over ripen so they won't be around much longer. Let's hope they find enough food!
If that is the case, there may be an eruption heading this way and we could be in for a treat! However, a lot of the berries I've seen have already started to over ripen so they won't be around much longer. Let's hope they find enough food!