15 minutes of missed fame

Hi All,

Well i managed to do it yet again .... missed the Scandinavian birds of paradise (Waxwings, that is) at Parkgate ... as i arrive 15 minutes too late yet again .... Grrr! I think they do it on purpose !

Kestrel - Neil Prendergast

So then drove on towards the baths and saw a Kestrel in the high branches of a tree over the roadway. There was was quite a gathering of twitchers there for the high tide who had their scopes all trained on a female Peregrine falcon on a perch branch out in the marsh surveying the area around it.

Snowy Moel Famau

I was amazed to see snow on the hills on the other side of the Dee above Flint and on Moel Famau. 

Seeing that i had gone to specifically to see the Waxwings. I drove back to the Boathouse pub car park as i didn't want to miss them again and i had cut three apples in two and impaled them onto the short twigs of the berry trees which the birds had been feeding on.

The lure - Juicy apple

 I was determined to wait it out for their return, as i didn't want to let Chris and Laura down after they have kept me informed of the bird sightings on the Wirral over the past week or so.

There were very few berries left and by tomorrow i suspect they will be heading north to another food source and eventually back home across the North Sea to Scandinavia.

While waiting for the returning birds a Heron flew over from off the marsh.

Grey Heron - Neil Prendergast

After a while i was getting cold, so retreated back to the warmth of my car.

I waited two hours and at 14:00hrs a swall came in followed by heavy rain and i just happened to look over to the berry trees and saw the birds had returned.

Waxwing - Neil Prendergast

I hurriedly wound my passenger window down and started taking photo's ... not the best of light but beggars can't be choosers.

The birds only stayed for a few minutes when they were disturbed by a high sided van that passed closely to the trees.

All my efforts in positioning the apples on the branches to entice them to stay was all in vain. As they were more interested in their usual red berry diet.

I watched them fly off to a tree about 50 yards away and they just stayed there in the tops of the branches digesting their berries.

Thirty minutes later they were back again feasting on the red stuff ....

Waxwing feeding on red berries - Neil Prendergast

By this time it was getting on towards rush hour on the M56. So decided to call it a day.

I wonder and hope if they will return next year, as they are a real treat for the eyes.

Neil .......