Waxwings in Melvaig

Waxwings in Melvaig
Winter must be on it’s way, two waxwings were seen feeding on cotoneaster berries in the garden here in Melvaig. These birds are rare visitors but are becoming a more common sight in the North West in the wintertime. Waxwings feed on insects, berries, particularly rowan and hawthorn, but also cotoneaster and rose . The waxwing doesn’t breed in the UK, apparently, but habitats are changing. Melvaig is a windswept, treeless, crofting township. A place where nothing but poor grass grows because the sheep munch everything that tries to grow. Put a fence up and the habitat gets transformed. Fenced areas of garden are full of trees and these support a greater variety of birdlife. Our garden is busy with birds darting back and forth to the feeders and finding a few garden insects. Blue tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Greenfinches and the rabble of House Sparrows that live in the eaves of the house and own the vicinity. It is a lot of fun watching their constant activity.