A big gap on my Axe patch list is Waxwing. During the two last decent influxes (2010/2011 and 2012/2013) there were a handful of patch records. A few of the local birders have seen them here (Phil, Gav and James Mc) but these were all brief sightings and weren't twitchable. There have been some lingering birds, but the local birding network didn't learn of these until after the event. This winter though I am hopeful that I will be taking a photo here that looks something like this...
Ok, maybe not quite so many birds but I am confident of at least one! And why? Well considering it is still only October, there are heaps and heaps already arriving in to the UK. Some years there can be just the odd one or two in the whole of the UK prior to Christmas, but there is already a flock of 220 in Scotland! And they have already been seen as far west as Bardsey Island (Wales) and Christchurch Harbour (Dorset). Chances are we won't get a sniff down here until after the New Year when they've eaten all the berries between here and the east coast, but boy is it looking promising...
I had an hour our birding this morning before work, and was delighted to find another Yellow-browed Warbler, this one at Lower Bruckland Ponds. Unlike my last, pleasingly this one remained for others to see. Amazingly there were two more on patch today as well, with the bird found by Twilight Tim at Black Hole Marsh on Friday still present, along with a new bird at the bottom of Stepp's Lane, Axmouth, found by James Mc.
Maybe it is now time for the south coast to shine after the east coast has enjoyed all the glory.
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