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Waxwing

Photograph Copyright © Nicolas Chaline.

Waxwings are winter visitors to this country and arrive in varying numbers at localities along the east coast in late autumn / early winter, usually around November time. It is usually 3 or 4 weeks later that birds start to move further inland and often not until the new year. So in 1999, when reasonable sized flocks were reported in inland Yorkshire as early as November, it looked like we we might be in for a good winter. The first sizeable flock, c.40 at Attercliffe / Tinsley, duly appeared in late November - early December.  It eventually got a little better than that, with a probable max of about 65 birds in the area.

Photograph Copyright © Nicolas Chaline.

It is always difficult to be sure of the total number of birds involved.  Our records would indicate that they usually range around the area in smaller flocks which only very occasionally come together. So any sensible total can only be based on the size of the largest flock reported. The best year was easily 1996 when a flock of c.500 was at Walkley. The best winters during the last decade or so were:
1988-89,  max 75 at Moorfoot / Sunnybank area on 24th April 1989,
1990-91,  max 160 at Meadowhead on 2nd February 1991,
1991-92,  max 108 at Cemetery Avenue off Ecclesall Road on 1st January 1992,
1995-96,  max c.500 at Walkley on 12th December 1995,
1996-97,  max 88 at Broomhill on 10th March 1997,
2003-04, up to at least 187 at Meadowhall Retail Park on December 2003 [as at 1/01/04].

Amongst a number of favoured localities, often visited even in winters with lower numbers, are:
Crosspool, Cemetery Avenue, St. Mary's Gate / Hanover Way, Meersbrook / Heeley Farm, and the Meadowhall complex.

The above two photographs were taken at Crosspool in December 1999 by Nicolas Chaline.

Three more shots of Waxwings - by John Rochester in April 2000.
Two shots at Meadowhall Retail Park, Sheffield - by Ashley Fisher, 10th January 2001.
A Gallery of photographs from winter 2003-04.

Last updated 1st January 2004

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