Waxing

With the sun trying to peep through the clouds this morning, Malcolm and I set out for a walk around the old theme park site.  There are a huge quantity of Cotoneaster shrubs around the area and the old car-parks are full of Rowan trees, Dog Roses and the like, so it was with some over-optimism, that we went in search of Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus), a bird which I have yet to add to my 'list'.
It was very wet under foot following all the rain we've had during the past few days, but it was very mild and the views across the fields were well worth the effort.

This panorama shows the area which had previously been taken up with a brickworks during the days of mining. It also clearly shows the golden hues of the Autumnal trees, something which can be seen well, closer in.

As I mentioned, the Cotoneaster bushes are laden this year, a magnificent feast for a multitude of bird species as well as a number of small mammals.

There are several different types of Cotoneaster, some have smaller berries, but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in numbers.

Despite all the free food around, we were not lucky enough to see any Waxwings this time.  But, despite the mud-caked shoes and the ever-present danger of slipping on fallen leaves, the colours were wonderful and a good time was had by all (well, by Malcolm and me anyway).