While the North Wales coast was going Wheatear crazy (luckily I'd seen the last one), I spent the weekend in landlocked Mid-Wales visiting family. However, this visit was spiced up a little with the knowledge that Waxwings were around. It took literally minutes to find my first flock yesterday morning in the centre of Welshpool and more birds kept appearing. I enjoyed an enjoyable morning today with Paul Leafe birding around the area and we met up with Tony Cross who was trying to ring some of the 200+ birds present around Newtown. They caught 11 before lunch and I was lucky enough to be around to see a bird in the hand. One surreal moment was when Birdman Iolo Williams jogger past in full fluorescent running gear - fair do's for a 50 year old!
We're in danger of becoming a bit blase about Waxwings, but boy aren't they superb. More on the excellent Mid Wales Ringers site here -
http://midwalesringers.blogspot.co.uk/
Beautiful in the hand a surprisingly large birds.
The undertail coverts are a superb rusty red colour. I keep checking for one that has got plain undertail coverts - you never know ;-)
The small Waxy tips and lemony yellow on this bird show it to be a female.
Wonderful to see these gorgeous birds up so close - and what a surprise to see Iolo - I'm off to see him guest speak at Eaton Hall this week!
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