Waxwings - Week Two

We're now into our second week of catching Waxwings, and have colour ringed over 200 birds. Numbers are beginning to dwindle in Aberdeen as birds move through the country, although we been able to continue catching birds all week. Our second re-sighting outwith Grampian, Green, Red, Yellow was ringed at Dyce on 31st October and was seen in Levens, Cumbria on the 7th of November. Thanks to Robert Polkington for the sighting and photo below. Orkney Ringing Group have also been individually colour ringing birds this year, and one has been re-sighted in Aberdeen.

One of the downsides of Waxwing invasions is the birds susceptibility to fly into glass. Obviously there are no windows and bus shelters in the forests they come from, and with most Waxwings feeding in urban areas, casualties are high. We've had one colour ringed bird die because of this so far, and to make it worse it was our Swedish control! It was caught and colour ringed at Allenvale Cemetry on the 5th November and hit a house window five days later at Cragiebuckler. Gutting! We await the original ringing details for the bird.

Hopefully as birds start to move more sightings should come flooding in. Keep checking these flocks for rings!