Taste the difference...

I was at a Pantomime with the kids yesterday afternoon in Bournemouth when the first flock of Waxwings to reach Poole this winter arrived. They were first reported at a Sainsbury's just 5 minutes walk from my house and not far from the school which my sons attend. ''Behind you' indeed. But a day off today meant that I could take my eldest son to school and look for the birds on the way. Grandad was visiting as well and managed to locate the Waxwing flock just outside the playground - 38 birds in total.

This was a tick for two of the three generations present, and the first time I had seen Waxwing in Dorset as well. The light improved later in the day so Christmas shopping was combined with another trip to Sainsbury's to watch the Waxwings making light work of the local berry crop. Shoppers joined birders in admiring the flock, which seemed to contain more juveniles than adults. The birds never settled on the lower berries for long, but long enough to enjoy some excellent views and the jingling calls.