Just for interest.
So far this autumn there have been huge and unusual movements of woodland
species out of Northern Russia towards western Europe. "Northern" races of
Bullfinch have been very noticeable including races of birds from well east
which do not normally move this far west in winter.
Waxwings too have been flooding into the UK in recent days (160 in Lewis
yesterday). High numbers of Jays were seen to move through the Netherlands
in past weeks also.
Though seasonal hard weather movements are normal, this year has been quite
remarkable and suggests that some factor (temperature, early snows, food
supply) has forced these birds to move west in large numbers.
Biological indicators are often as good as any computer models or
statistics, often reflecting very accurate or distinct trends in temperature
and weather.
Without doubt, something very different is happening this year in this
region.

J Poyner.


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"J.Poyner" wrote in message
...
Just for interest.
So far this autumn there have been huge and unusual movements of woodland
species out of Northern Russia towards western Europe. "Northern" races of
Bullfinch have been very noticeable including races of birds from well
east
which do not normally move this far west in winter.
Waxwings too have been flooding into the UK in recent days (160 in Lewis
yesterday). High numbers of Jays were seen to move through the Netherlands
in past weeks also.
Though seasonal hard weather movements are normal, this year has been
quite
remarkable and suggests that some factor (temperature, early snows, food
supply) has forced these birds to move west in large numbers.
Biological indicators are often as good as any computer models or
statistics, often reflecting very accurate or distinct trends in
temperature
and weather.
Without doubt, something very different is happening this year in this
region.

J Poyner.


The waxwing is an amazing bird.
Had flocks of them visit my garden in early 2001 and January 1987. They make
short work of cottoneaster berry's, are totally oblivious to humans and have
an amazing plumage. Only ever seen here when there's been very deep snow
lying.
I wouldn't complain if they visited again over the coming few months.
Waxwings definetly go hand in hand with harsh snows in my opinion, but
aren't necisarily forebearers... Which begs the question, why have they came
to the UK already?
Most unusual.

ºººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº
Alex Stephens Jr
Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland
N55º47'14", W3º55'15". 360ft/117m amsl
http://www.alex114.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
ºººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº

"Alex Stephens Jr" wrote in message
...

"J.Poyner" wrote in message
...
Just for interest.
So far this autumn there have been huge and unusual movements of
woodland
species out of Northern Russia towards western Europe. "Northern" races
of
Bullfinch have been very noticeable including races of birds from well
east
which do not normally move this far west in winter.
Waxwings too have been flooding into the UK in recent days (160 in Lewis
yesterday). High numbers of Jays were seen to move through the
Netherlands
in past weeks also.
Though seasonal hard weather movements are normal, this year has been
quite
remarkable and suggests that some factor (temperature, early snows, food
supply) has forced these birds to move west in large numbers.
Biological indicators are often as good as any computer models or
statistics, often reflecting very accurate or distinct trends in
temperature
and weather.
Without doubt, something very different is happening this year in this
region.

J Poyner.


The waxwing is an amazing bird.
Had flocks of them visit my garden in early 2001 and January 1987. They
make
short work of cottoneaster berry's, are totally oblivious to humans and
have
an amazing plumage. Only ever seen here when there's been very deep snow
lying.
I wouldn't complain if they visited again over the coming few months.
Waxwings definetly go hand in hand with harsh snows in my opinion, but
aren't necisarily forebearers... Which begs the question, why have they
came
to the UK already?
Most unusual.

ºººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº
Alex Stephens Jr
Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland
N55º47'14", W3º55'15". 360ft/117m amsl
http://www.alex114.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
ºººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº



Although they eat berries here in winter their natural diet is insects. Food
shortage would force them to move, so either the natural supply of insects
died off sooner this year or lack of berries.

J Poyner


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Alex Stephens Jr wrote:

The waxwing is an amazing bird.
Had flocks of them visit my garden in early 2001 and January 1987. They make
short work of cottoneaster berry's, are totally oblivious to humans and have
an amazing plumage. Only ever seen here when there's been very deep snow
lying.

We had a number of them here last winter. Stripped our cotoneaster, just
outside my window here, in a couple of days and then moved on. Hope very
much to see them again this year.

This week we've had a flock of Fieldfares in the village, and they've
stripped the Mountain Ash of all its berries and knocked most of the
remaining leaves off in the process. They've left the Cotoneaster alone,
I think the berries aren't plump enough yet, or maybe they're just too
shy to come that close.
--
Steve Loft, Wanlockhead, Dumfriesshire. 1417ft ASL
http://www.wanlockhead.org.uk/weather/
Free weather softwa http://cumulus.nybbles.co.uk/
Experimental webcam: http://www.wanlockhead.org.uk/webcam.php

The berry crop is very good this year with rowans bending under the weight.
Could this bumper feast be the reason for the early high nubers of winter
visitors ? And how do they know about the berries ?

We have huge numbers of fieldfares on the rowans just now, over 500 in a
flock
"Steve Loft" wrote in message
...
Alex Stephens Jr wrote:

The waxwing is an amazing bird.
Had flocks of them visit my garden in early 2001 and January 1987. They
make
short work of cottoneaster berry's, are totally oblivious to humans and
have
an amazing plumage. Only ever seen here when there's been very deep snow
lying.

We had a number of them here last winter. Stripped our cotoneaster, just
outside my window here, in a couple of days and then moved on. Hope very
much to see them again this year.

This week we've had a flock of Fieldfares in the village, and they've
stripped the Mountain Ash of all its berries and knocked most of the
remaining leaves off in the process. They've left the Cotoneaster alone,
I think the berries aren't plump enough yet, or maybe they're just too
shy to come that close.
--
Steve Loft, Wanlockhead, Dumfriesshire. 1417ft ASL
http://www.wanlockhead.org.uk/weather/
Free weather softwa http://cumulus.nybbles.co.uk/
Experimental webcam: http://www.wanlockhead.org.uk/webcam.php

The bumper crop certainly makes them stick around but the reason they come
in the first place is that they are pushed out by shortage of food supplies
or cold weather in their normal range. They just hit lucky if it's a bumper
crop here.

J Poyner


"fred" wrote in message ...
The berry crop is very good this year with rowans bending under the
weight.
Could this bumper feast be the reason for the early high nubers of winter
visitors ? And how do they know about the berries ?

We have huge numbers of fieldfares on the rowans just now, over 500 in a
flock
"Steve Loft" wrote in message
...
Alex Stephens Jr wrote:

The waxwing is an amazing bird.
Had flocks of them visit my garden in early 2001 and January 1987.
They
make
short work of cottoneaster berry's, are totally oblivious to humans
and
have
an amazing plumage. Only ever seen here when there's been very deep
snow
lying.

We had a number of them here last winter. Stripped our cotoneaster, just
outside my window here, in a couple of days and then moved on. Hope very
much to see them again this year.

This week we've had a flock of Fieldfares in the village, and they've
stripped the Mountain Ash of all its berries and knocked most of the
remaining leaves off in the process. They've left the Cotoneaster alone,
I think the berries aren't plump enough yet, or maybe they're just too
shy to come that close.
--
Steve Loft, Wanlockhead, Dumfriesshire. 1417ft ASL
http://www.wanlockhead.org.uk/weather/
Free weather softwa http://cumulus.nybbles.co.uk/
Experimental webcam: http://www.wanlockhead.org.uk/webcam.php




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In message , J.Poyner
writes
The bumper crop certainly makes them stick around but the reason they come
in the first place is that they are pushed out by shortage of food supplies
or cold weather in their normal range. They just hit lucky if it's a bumper
crop here.

I've noticed a recent increase in birds - some just passing through,
some I presume are garden residents returning from wherever they've been
feeding. We usually put food out all year, but we stopped in August this
year when we went on holiday and haven't started again yet. The berry
crop is very good, and there's a lot of wet rotting wood about with
plenty of insects. Still a lot of insects on the wing as well. We had
quite a few tree creepers in the garden the other day - quite common,
but we don't usually have a group of them. The apples are the best we've
ever had and the windfalls are certainly attracting the thrushes and
blackbirds, also a red squirrel which was a first for us.
I thought I would start putting extra out for them in a few weeks, or
sooner if it turns cold.
--
Anita Evans
North Cumbria
(anita[at]ra.evans.clara.co.uk to reply by e-mail)