A waxwing at last!

 It's thirteen years since we last saw a waxwing, when a whole flock turned up in our garden, feeding on crab apples. There have been numerous reports of these spectacular birds all over the north-east this winter, but  it was only yesterday that we finally found one, feeding on hawthorn berries near Willington in the Wear valley. I didn't have a proper camera with me, so these pictures were taken with an iPhone 7 SE. Luckily, the bird was very obliging and let me get with a few feet before it flew higher into the tree.

Better Late than Never...

Given that this winter has delivered one of the biggest waxwing eruptions in the North East in recent memory, we were feeling pretty disappointed that we hadn't seen a single one - until we pulled up the bedroom blind this morning and were greeted with this spectacle. Everyone seems to have a waxwing photo on their blog - so here are a few more...

A flock of about 20 were feeding on the rotting fruits of the crab apples (cv. Golden Hornet) outside the window, which had produced a bumber crop of apples this autumn. The birds staged a lightening raid, shredding the fruits for about 30 minutes before heading off into another garden ...... and they haven't been back. A magical half-hour, though.

A bird that looks permanently peeved....