As you can tell (from previous posts), my favourite bird is a Waxwing. Now, there isn't a clever reason for this, such as "They have the farthest migratory trip" or "They adopt abandoned chicks from other nests" or something intelligent like that, but only the fact that they are just so darn fluffy.
In fact, when I was seven, and just getting into twitching, I would often flick through my bird spotter books, (not because I wanted to remember which species was which, but instead I wanted to look at all the pretty colours and feathers.) and after a while, there would be several pages that became my usual "haunts". The waxwing was on page 82, and it was my favourite bird, with its little feet tucked into its belly, and its furry quiff sticking out at an odd angle.
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| Their latin name is: Bombycilla Garrulus |
Now, I hate to break it to you, but Waxwings aren't always like this. On cold mornings with frosty winds, they will (like all birds) plump up their feathers to stay warm. So, it was only several years later that I realized that when they were going about their normal business, they looked (quite exotic), but relativity normal. Still, despite this heartbreaking fact, they take pride of place on my "must see" list.
Now, I must clear my misty eyes, and explain more about this fantastic bird.
As an autumn migrant, flocks can sometimes be seen swooping into Britain and mobbing fruit trees. In fact, that is where you are most likely to see them; on rowan and hawthorn bushes, guzzling the soft fruits. They are a little bit smaller than a starling, and have high pitched "vibrating" calls. They are most often seen on the east coast, but occasionally, their numbers swell, causing them to cluster deeper inland, in search of food.
I hope you love this bird just as much as I do, and good luck on your sightings!
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