Friday, October 27, 2023
Dipping down to the beach at Ardmair I caught a glimpse of light-coloured birds rushing up from the roadside; and parking in the lay-by I walked back up the hill to see what I could see. And what I could see were waxwings! They were very mobile, being constantly flushed by passing cars and lorries as they fed on berries on the verge - but I think there were at least fifteen birds present.
Waxie at the seaside (Loch Kanaird in the background):
Waxie in alder:
Waxies on berries:
I think this low shrub is Cotoneaster horizontalis. The bad news is that it's "listed as an invasive, non-native species on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in England and Wales" (gardenersworld.com). The good news is that we have some in our garden - so we might get waxwings here yet. The trouble is, our small rowan and our neighbour's mature one - and even the rowan out the back with the yellow berries - have all been stripped by blackbirds, redwings, etc; and I fear it might be the same story throughout the village.
// posted by Christine @ 8:58 AM 
