An Eagle in Eryri, but are Waxwings on the wane?

White-tailed Eagle (Frank Wildman)

Colour-ringed Waxwing (Fred Fearn)

The influx of wintering Waxwings to North Wales seems to be diminishing, although 40 were in Wrexham’s Watery Road on Saturday and three fed beside the café on Llanddulas beach at the weekend. A mile to the east, sharp-eyed Waxwing watchers on New Year’s Day spotted that one of a flock at Middle Gate, on the road to Abergele, wore coloured rings on its legs. They were attached by Grampian Ringing Group as part of a long-term project. An animated map of resightings, published by Sam Langlois on X, formerly Twitter, shows how Waxwings have moved south through Britain since early November, after arriving in northeast Scotland from Scandinavia. Surprisingly, however, the bird seen in North Wales was not among them. It had been ringed in Aberdeen in November 2022 and was seen later that winter in Aalborg, northern Denmark, presumably on the way back to its breeding area. The Grampian project has ringed more than 4500 Waxwings, but this is only the eighth bird to be seen again in a different winter following its ringing.

Meirionnydd’s juvenile White-tailed Eagle continues its stay in the hills above Llanuwchllyn, presumed to come from Scotland or Ireland. Not far away, a Ring-necked Duck and four Scaup are on Llyn Tegid. A smart male Smew is at Talacre, and several Snow Buntings on saltmarsh at nearby RSPB Point of Ayr. On Anglesey, an estimated 200,000 Starlings roost at Llyn Bodgylched, a flock of Pink-footed Geese were on Llyn Llywenan last week, and a Scaup and Ruffs at RSPB Cors Ddyga. Slavonian Grebes are on the Inland Sea, with others off Benllech, Harlech and Llanddulas. The Llŷn’s long-staying Glossy Ibis remains at Abererch and a Black-throated Diver was among a dozen Great Northern Divers off Pontllyfni. Water Pipits have been by Porthmadog Cob and near Penrhyn Bay.

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