Thwarted

Another crisp, cold day, this time in December, and the sparrows and starlings were very busy in the back garden from the moment sunlight hit the bird feeders. There were a couple of common gulls on the school playing field with a couple of lesser black-backs and a herring gull while more lesser black-backs sat on the roof of one of the school buildings with nine black-headed gulls.

Nine waxwings were reported from Warrington, in the housing estate just outside the town centre on Battersby Road and less than quarter of an hour's walk from the station, so off I went. I arrived at the rowan trees at the junction of Battersby Road and Forshaw Street to be told: "There were nine of them, showing really well in that rowan tree with the pale berries. A sparrowhawk chased them off a couple of minutes ago."

I lingered on the off-chance they'd be back to feed up before going to roost. Sixty-odd starlings flew about in one flock while groups of three or four flew by, raising and dashing my hopes. Half a dozen blackbirds dived into the rowans for a scoff and a dozen woodpigeons dipped in and out for a running buffet.

I waited until it was time to set off for the last daylight train back home. No waxwings for me today. I hope other people have more luck tomorrow.

Sunset at Humphrey Park Station