WHILE not everyone would have welcomed the recent change in the weather, the region's birdwatchers will be pleased to see the back of the wet westerlies which seemed to dominate for most of the autumn.
The clearer, colder conditions have resulted in the arrival of thousands of birds from northern climes and the past week or so has seen winter thrushes pouring in from across the North Sea, and wild geese and swans flighting in from their Arctic breeding grounds.
Many readers will have noticed a recent increase in the number of
blackbirds as our resident birds are joined by continental migrants while exotic-looking redwings and fieldfares have arrived en masse and can be seen gorging on this year's superb berry crop.
Last weekend I saw hundreds of these stunning northern thrushes by the cycle track at my local patch on the Lune estuary as they worked their way through the numerous fruit-filled hawthorns.
Smaller numbers of song thrushes from northern Europe have arrived too, boosting the numbers of local birds.
In some years, if we're really lucky, these long-distance nomads will also bring with them good numbers of waxwings and the nation's birdwatchers will spend hours diligently checking all ornamental rowan, cotoneaster, hawthorn and wild rose for these truly stunning berry-guzzlers.
As ever, I shall be asking Visitor readers to keep an eye out for any waxwings as they are quite confiding and regularly visit gardens in search of fruiting trees and bushes.
In recent years Birdwatch readers have helped plot the arrival and subsequent movements of these highly-distinctive migrants and the invaluable information received has been of great interest.
Waxwings are easy to identify if seen well and even those readers with limited experience of birdwatching shouldn't have any problem spotting any that might visit their gardens.
These lovely birds are also prone to appearing on industrial estates and supermarket car parks, so it really is worth keeping an eye out wherever there are berries on trees!
Approximately the same size as a starling, waxwings are a warm-caramel colour with large obvious crests. They have a smart black eyemask and
distinctive chin patch while white
markings in the wing are easily seen, as can be the yellow feather tips to the wing and tail.
So far this year reasonable numbers of waxwings have arrived in the country and at the time of writing a handful have been sighted on the outskirts of our area, so surely it's just a matter of time before some of these fabulous harbingers of winter discover the delights of North Lancashire.
If you are fortunate enough to see any waxwings you can contact me on (01524) 834047 (during work hours), on mobile phone 07984 767 342 or by email to jon.carter@lmnews.co.uk
I will always respect the privacy of readers and will let other birdwatchers know of any birds' presence only if access to the waxwings is practical.
Nobody wants to wake up to find a battery of unwanted binoculars staring into their back garden!
You can also post your sightings on the excellent website of the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society at
www.lancasterbirdwatching.org.ukThe next meeting of the society will take place on November 24 at Bare Methodist Church Hall when the British Trust for Ornithology's Andy Musgrove will give an illustrated talk on the recent colonisation of the UK by the little egret.
