Keeping tabs on a welcome invader from Scandinavia

Published on Monday 8 December 2008 18:57

WITH its distinctive reddish-brown crest and yellow and white flashes on its wing tips, the waxwing is one of our most unmistakable winter visitors.

Hordes of the plump birds, slightly smaller than our native starling, invade the east coast of Scotland from Scandinavia in October, in search of berries and milder weather.

Thousands have been spotted across the country this autumn, with at least 650 birds reported in and around Glasgow at the end of November.

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is mapping the spread of the birds throughout the UK as part of its 2007-11 Bird Atlas project.

More than 50,000 volunteers are expected to contribute to the scheme, which will form the basis for conservation work over the following decade.

It is a joint project between the BTO, the Scottish Ornithologists' Club and Birdwatch Ireland, and it aims to investigate the number and distribution of birds across the British Isles.

Waxwing numbers in the UK tend to swell during "invasion" years, when the berry crop fails in Scandinavia.

They eat mainly rowan and hawthorn berries – but will also take food from roses and cotoneasters – and are now often found feeding on bushes in supermarket car parks.

After eating the berries on the east coast, the waxwings spread south and west.

Bob Swann, the BTO's atlas coordinator in Scotland, said: "This is one of the biggest invasions we've had for a wee while.

"It's down to a combination of a good breeding season, which means the population is quite high, combined with the berry crop failing in Scandinavia. They start moving out of the taiga areas where they breed to look for berries but can't find them and so have to keep moving south across the North Sea to Britain."

Mr Swann said the waxwing was not the only Scandinavian invader. "Quite a lot of fieldfares and redwings – what we call our winter thrushes – came over with the waxwings," he said.

"They're pushed out of Scandinavia each winter with the cold weather. They've moved through the north of Scotland very quickly as well.

"I think there will be more on their way. You often get bursts of waxwings coming across. As the winter progresses, they'll switch on to cotoneaster and other plants."

At the end of November, more than 150 waxwings were seen in Dumfries and 100 in Edinburgh. Flocks of 300 were counted in Aberdeen, 200 in Dunblane, 120 in Bathgate and another 120 in Musselburgh. More than 200 were spotted at Motherwell, 100 at Cumnock in Ayrshire, and more than 100 at Hamilton.

Grampian Ringing Group caught some of the Scandinavian waxwings in Aberdeenshire and placed coloured rings on their legs before releasing them. The rings, which do not hurt or impede the birds, allow individuals to be tracked as they move throughout the country.

Already, some of the birds ringed in Aberdeenshire have been spotted at St Andrews in Fife, Peebles in the Borders, Alnwick in Northumberland, and Barrow in Lancashire.

John Harrison, a countryside ranger with East Lothian Council, said of this year's waxwing invasion: "They certainly are a highlight of the winter, as you don't see them every year.

"They look stunning and you don't have to be a nature lover to appreciate how beautiful they look.

"They add an exotic, pink colour to a grey winter's day and because they have a big association with urban areas, it's something that many members of the public could see and enjoy."

Mr Swann said: "Another Scandinavian species we used to get in big numbers was the brambling, which is like the northern equivalent of the chaffinch but a lot brighter.

"They're increasingly coming into gardens when they do appear in Scotland, but their numbers have dropped dramatically in recent years, possible because they're staying in Scandinavia due to its recent milder winters."

How to take part

What do I have to do?

Go outside this weekend and make a record of the wildlife you see. Either take photographs or make written notes and e-mail them to or post to Wildlife Watch, The Scotsman, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS.

What notes should I take?

You should note down the name of the species; the date you saw it; where you saw it (preferably including a post code or a six-figure grid reference); and your own name and contact details. The records will be collected by The Scotsman and passed to the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) and Biological Recording in Scotland (Brisc), which may use them in their work.

Which creatures should I look for?

We want to hear about any other species you spot, from birds and mammals to plants flowering at unusual times of the year.

What should I take with me?

Take a pen and paper to note sightings. Take your camera, too, because photographs can be useful for identifying which species you have seen.