West Dunbartonshire nature lovers can see rare treat

Nov 28 2008 by Tina Kemp, Lennox Herald (main ed)

NATURE lovers in West Dunbartonshire are being encouraged to keep a look-out for an unusual winter visitor.

A once in a decade invasion of waxwings have descended on Scotland in search of berries.

The reddish-brown birds, which are about the size of a plump starling and with a punk rocker crest, are usually found in the cold climes of Scandinavia and Northern Russia.

Small numbers are often spotted around Scotland every winter, as the birds cross the sea in the quest for their favourite food.

Every 10 years or so, the population grows too large for the food supply in their native lands and they appear in unusually large numbers.

Jenny Tweedie, of RSPB Scotland, said: “Waxwings are incredibly beautiful birds, and you really won’t see anything else quite like them in Scotland. We get regular reports of sightings every winter, but this year people have been seeing particularly high numbers.

“Your best chance of seeing them is to look out for berry trees like hawthorn and rowan, where the birds may be feeding. Waxwings also seem to be particularly fond of cotoneaster, which is a berry other birds tend to avoid.”