{"id":29190,"date":"2023-01-26T09:21:36","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T09:21:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basinga.org.uk\/wp\/?p=29190"},"modified":"2023-01-26T09:21:36","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T09:21:36","slug":"hants-iow-wildlife-trust-a-waxwing-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basinga.org.uk\/wp\/blog\/hants-iow-wildlife-trust-a-waxwing-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Hants & IOW Wildlife Trust – A Waxwing Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Logo<\/a><\/p>\n

A Waxwing Winter<\/h1>\n

By Lewis Hooper, ecologist at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust<\/em><\/p>\n

Waxwings are perhaps one of the most beautiful birds imaginable.<\/p>\n

Their buff colouration with flashes of yellow and red on the wings, elegant \u2018eyeliner\u2019 and silky large crest really make them stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n

Part of a family of three species, the Bohemian waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is the species native to northern Europe. The bird\u2019s English name refers to how they travel in large nomadic groups (bohemian) and the red tips to their secondary wing feathers that look like seal wax droplets (waxwing).<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not all about the looks. Their trilling \u2018sirrrrr\u2019 call sounds like a small ringing bell \u2013 perhaps akin to Santa\u2019s sleigh dashing overhead \u2013 as flocks of up to 100 birds move from tree to tree.<\/p>\n

Bohemian Waxwing<\/h2>\n
\"Bohemian

WildNet<\/p><\/div>\n

Bohemian waxwings breed within the northern parts of Europe\u2019s coniferous belt, often in remote, damp, mossy mature forests nesting high in pines. In winter, they escape the numbing temperatures of north-eastern Europe and western Russia and head west in search of more temperate conditions, feeding on fruit-rich trees including apple, rowan and hawthorn. During winter, a relatively small number of these starling-sized birds travel to UK shores; first seen on the east coast before spreading west and south from there.<\/p>\n

Waxwings are referred to as irruptive, which means on occasion large numbers of the birds migrate beyond their typical range. Some years, hundreds of thousands of waxwings will land in the UK, often labelled as a \u2018waxwing winter\u2019. But why does this happen?<\/p>\n

Waxwings are pushed away from their breeding grounds in search of food, and it\u2019s the yield of fruit trees that determines how far afield waxwings must travel. Most fruit trees of the same, and of similar, species bear fruit at the same time. This can result in a bounty of fruits in some years, and practically none in others. During years of bad yields, large numbers of waxwings will migrate large distances. Recent reports of poor berry crops in Finland and Sweden suggest an irruption is possible this year!<\/p>\n

Waxwings in Hampshire<\/h2>\n

In Hampshire, waxwings are not seen every year \u2013 they are a rare visitor. However, when they do turn up, it might not be where you\u2019d expect. The ASDA supermarket in Totton and Whiteley shopping centre in Fareham are common hotspots. These commercial areas often feature car parks planted with aesthetically pleasing, berry-laden fruit trees \u2013 and these always prove popular with waxwings. The last irruption in Hampshire was in the winter of 2010 when over 2,000 birds arrived.<\/p>\n

So, keep your eyes and ears open for these punk rock-looking winter birds over Christmas and New Year and you might just get lucky enough to spot one!<\/p>\n

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To learn more about local wildlife, visit the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust at website https:\/\/www.hiwwt.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Waxwing Winter By Lewis Hooper, ecologist at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Waxwings are perhaps one of the most beautiful birds imaginable. Their buff colouration with flashes of yellow and red...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-extras-archive"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t