April Waxwings

With frost every night this last week and a strong East wind it was no surprise to encounter a late flock of sixteen Waxwings on the 5th. They were in a tree above a bush that had its berries eaten more than a month ago.As I watched they were eating, on the ground, those berries that had fallen on their previous visit. They were extremely hungry birds so I gathered the berries together and put them in a pile enabling the Waxwings to descend en-mass as seen in the photo. In order to film I had to drive my car onto a grass verge and park between two trees. Twice in the next two jours I had passing motorists stop to enquire whether I needed an ambulance as it looked like I had crashed my car into the trees!

During the week I have had two unsuccessful attempts to film a Kingfisher. It now looks like it is going to be a repeat of
last year with only one bird present at a nest site that has traditionally been used for more than thirty years. I did, however, manage to obtain a photo of a wren that was nest building nearby. I also heard my first Green Woodpeckers of the year.

In the cold weather the garden has continued to attract more than twenty different species per day peaking at twenty four on the 4th. These included our first two Redpolls of the year, plus five Siskins, male Blackcap and the Willow Tit on its latest ever date.

Out of the wind, in warm sunshine one afternoon two male Adders were waiting for the emergence of the first females. Clearly everybody is waiting for the arrival of Spring.

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