Colour-ringed Waxwing

I photographed this Waxwing in Longthorpe, Peterborough on the way to work, this morning (part of a group of 40-odd birds). On checking the photos I saw it was colour-ringed. Watch this space for the provenance (I submitted the record through Euring).

Update: Having read a new article on the colour-ringed Waxwing project in Scotland on Birdguides, I contacted the author Raymond Duncan and sent him the details of this bird (plus the wrong photo!). He got back straight away, to say that it is an adult female, Ring No. NW49430, ringed at Wellheads Ind. Estate, Dyce, Aberdeen on 30.10.10, and not recorded since.
[I replied to thank him and sent the right photo...]
There appear to be at least three decent flocks of Waxwings in Peterborough at the moment. One (including this bird) of 40-odd in Longthorpe, one of 80-odd in Orton Goldhay and at least 20 around the Oundle Road/Sugar Way area. There have also been recent reports of the old Lincoln Road flock (near the Cock Inn) which numbered 80 or more at one stage.
There has to be a good chance of more colour-ringed birds in these flocks.

Waxwings in action

Short-eared Owl, Deeping High Bank, 30.1.11

Alt Cambs Bird Photo of 2010

STOP PRESS: Official results released! All the (extremely few) votes are in. Hanging chads have been dealt with. Seven (count them) variations on proportional representation applied. Weighting and recounts have finally delivered what can only be described as a mockery of a democratic result. But the polls never lie. The official winners of the Mike Weedon Alt Cambs Bird Photo of 2010 competition are:

1st: Little Gull in flight
2nd: Yellow Wagtail with cow
3rd: Black-tailed Godwit on a post

So congratulations to the winner, Little Gull in flight (which ironically was (together with the perched version) one of just two entries which actually featured on the CBC gallery last year, though it passed under the monthly judge's radar at the time).


What I consider my best bird photos of 2010, taken in Cambridgeshire (as a light-hearted alternative to the official CBC photo of the year competition). If you want to choose your fave of my shots, please leave a comment (with a name, so I can filter out spam).

Buzzard, Castor Hanglands, March

Wheatear, Hampton/Orton Brick Pit, April

Wheatear, Hampton/Orton Brick Pit, April

Sandwich Tern, Ferry Meadows CP, April

Little Gull, Ferry Meadows CP, April

Little Gull, Ferry Meadows CP, April

Yellow Wagtail, Moonshine Gap, April

Ring Ouzel, Castor Mill, April

Green Woodpecker, Castor Mill, April

Black-tailed Godwit, Nene Washes, May

Avocet, Maxey Pits, May

Whimbrel, Maxey Pits, May

Meadow Pipit, Maxey Pits, June

Shag, Ferry Meadows CP, August

Kittiwake, Ferry Meadows CP, September

Kestrel, Peterborough, October

Cormorant, Woodwalton Fen, November

Glaucous Gull, Dogsthorpe Tip, December

Texas LRGV Part 16. Rest of digiscoped etc...

Some of the photos I forgot to put up before...

Blue-winged Teals, South Padre Island

Mottled Duck, South Padre Island


Thanks to Jason M Hogle for the ID of this bug as Acanthocephala declivis, a leaf-footed bug. I promise that dirty finger nail is not my own, but that of a guy at Estero Llano Grande.


Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Estero Llano Grande


White Pelicans (plus Black-necked Stilt and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks), Estero Llano Grande

Texas LRGV Part 15. Pied-billed Grebe

One I forgot to post previously...

Texas LRGV Part 14. Butterflies etc

Two-barred Flasher


Zebra Heliconian

White Peacock

Sickle-winged Skipper, Laguna Atascosa


Southern Fritillary


Red-bordered Pixie


Mexican Bluewing, Estero Llano Grande

Marine Blue (I think)

Brown Longtail


Long-tailed Skipper



Giant Swallowtail, Estero llano Grande

Common Buckeye


Texan Crescent

Saddlebags sp

Green Darner