Don't we all Gary!! I too dipped on the Waxwings on the way back unfortunately.

Gary Gorner wrote:

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Met a nice couple from canada who called them cedar waxwings

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Hi Gary,

Cedar Waxwing is the American counterpart of 'our' Bohemian Waxwing and would be a Mega! Slightly larger with subtle plumage differences.

Quick visit this morning to barrow in the hope of getting my first waxwings and as i passed the rowan trees no signs of the birds, so did a u- turn and slowly drove past again .As i looked to the oposite side to where the rowans were, in brambles close I spotted them. At least 50 birds, watched them for about ten minutes mainly preening, wing stretching and trilling then a sparrow hawk shifted them hopefully missing its intended prey.Lifer for me tickety tickafter 3 years of missing them.
The weather was changing so decided to go for the great grey shrike at waddington . On arrival the shrike was posing on a fence post but after 2 minutes was chased off over the hill buy some crows waited an hour but it didnt re appear so went back to barrow for more of the waxwings
By 2pm rain came so that was that, but another day to remember great this birdin
Met a nice couple from canada who called them cedar waxwings

Stonking views of Waxwings at Barrow today

92 birds counted (from a photo of the flock in flight)

Two buzzards on lamp post & tree on by-pass at Clitheroe
Saw buzzard soaring in distance from grandparent's when doing Big Garden Bird Watch there- awwwhh can't I count it?

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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No sign of the Velvet Scoter at Barrow Lodge this early afternoon.

Info thanks to John Tymon

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first and last twich100 mile round trip due to motorways being blocked-fer nowti could have been adding to my points on penny

No sign of the Velvet Scoter at Barrow Lodge this early afternoon.

Info thanks to John Tymon

Scoter present all day giving incredibly close views. Many thanks to the posters who gave directions - even I found the place straight away!

Some very interesting pics of the Scoter on Richard Steel's web page :-

http:wildlifephotographic.blogspot.com/

I was there tues morning must hve just missed you Sid .Great bird and a lifer for me. what was unusual was the way the black headed gulls were following it and grabbing anything it disturbed in its bubbles.

thanks to all. scoter still here at three as i am looking at it at the moment

-- Edited by steve ashworth on Tuesday 29th of December 2009 06:38:53 PM

In case they're of use here are some directions I've PM'd to a few people who've asked, its about 15 mins from the M6 and there are Snow Bunts reported on Pendle Hill which is about three miles from the Scoter:

Come off M6 at Tickled Trout take A59 for Clitheroe [not Blackburn] go past Samlesbury [BAE] keep going on A59. About a mile south of Clitheroe there are two roundabouts within 300m and at the second there's services signed which is a McDonalds and a petrol station. Just to the left of the services is a pond about 100 m long - it's on there ( with a bit if luck it'll still be there anyway) it's dives a lot so may take a while to spot.

hi ian would like to see the scoter were abouts in clithero is it

-- Edited by steve ashworth on Tuesday 29th of December 2009 06:40:21 PM

Hi Tim

"Scoters and other diving ducks swallow mussels whole and crush
the shells in their stomach, where they are then ground into small fragments. Such ducks have a large and very strong stomach,which enables the birds to exploit a wide size range of molluscs.

However this feeding habit is expends a lot of energy which would explain why they are continually diving and eating the mussels. The ducks have to crush the shells, then heat the mussel flesh and the water locked between the valves to body temperature and finally, excrete the salt from the mussel flesh and water."

The Barrow bird caught about 15-20 mussels in the hour or so that I was watching it which fits in with the above explanation

Hope this helps

Riggers

Still there @1600, close into the road embankment.

I wouldn't read to much into the Collins guide where ageing birds such as this Velvet Scoter is concerned Phil. It hasn't the space to enter into the often complicated not to mention difficult ageing of such birds, it really is beyond it's scope much of the time.

That said, I too had been informed from those who had seen it (I have not!) that the bird is an immature drake. First winter drakes are identifiable by the first emergence of pure black feathering (particularly around the head initially) and also a reddish hue might be detectable on the sides of the bill (where the yellow patch of adult drakes appears).

Judging from photos is always secondary to seeing the bird for yourself in the field but some photos (especially the superb images on Bill Aspin's bird blog by Pete Morris) seem to show the crown and forhead as particularly dark, though not exactly black (coupled with a reduced white area around the lores and base of the bill) and a slightly paler 'patch' appearing where it should on the bill. So I would lean towards the bird being a drake. Also the greater coverts don't appear to have a huge amount of white on them and a couple even have remnants of a dark shaft running down to the feather tip, so atleast we can be sure it's a first winter!

We visited this morning and saw the bird very easily still scoffing mussels. Should be plenty of good photos of this bird judging by the number of cameramen there!