Friday 22 February 2008
On this day - 22/02/1996
I've already indicated that Feb '96 was a good month, and this was the icing on the cake. Ever since taking up birding I was looking forward to the chance to see Waxwings and the second half of the '95/'96 winter proved to be one of the best influxes for years. I'd already seen Waxwings in January, but knowing that there had been some in Leicester I rang birdling midlands on 21/02 to see if there was any news. There was, but not quite what I'd expected!
In Nottingham city centre there was a relatively huge flock of Waxwings (seem to think that there was >600) and amongst them was a Cedar Waxwing. Needless to say hasty arrangements were made to get there and on the morning of 22nd myself, Dave Gray and John Hackett were soon enjoying stunning close views of this first winter nearctic vagrant amongst c120 Waxwings. Superb bird - at the time it was the first for Britain but an earlier record from Shetland in June 1985 (that had been initially dismissed as an escape) was subsequently accepted.
Over the course of the morning we saw 300+ Waxwings and also enjoyed an overwintering Ring Ouzel in a city centre church yard.
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Ah the Cedar Waxwing, I well remember going with Brian and Rich Revell the first morning when it was still a possible. Only six or seven other birders there as no-one really believed the report. Needless to say we were disappointed at the roost area and moved to the Elf Garage. Richard picked up the bird pretty quickly on a nearby roof, drinking from a gutter and we all confirmed the id.
I was gobsmacked when I read the full write up in BB once accepted I was somewhat surprised by the version of history the finder had submitted! Sky TV and Fox news couldn't spin an event better.
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