West Norwood, a tucked-away gem in the southern embrace of London, eagerly anticipates the upcoming avian spectacle, whispered about through four cryptic words on the Birdguides app: “Six by community centre.” Amidst the mid-October air, tinged with anticipation, these enigmatic words hint at the possibility of a mesmerizing waxwing winter.
Waxwings, nature’s artisans of elegance, are poised to grace the locale with their presence. Picture them – stocky and starling-sized, their soft beige plumage kissed by a hint of pink. A black eye-mask and a crown of prominence exude a bandit-punk charm, while yellow wing flashes, a matching tail band, and sealing-wax-red spikes on their wing feathers complete a fashion ensemble that turns heads.
Traditionally, early sightings of waxwings grace the Northern Isles, Shetland or Orkney, marking their arrival from Scandinavia after a challenging journey over the vast, cold sea. Usually sporadic, these sightings bring a touch of variety to the winter avian scene.
However, every so often, serendipity aligns with nature’s whims, leading to an abundance of waxwings. A surge in their breeding grounds coincides with a scarce harvest of their beloved rowanberries, triggering a journey of risk and reward.
In a fashion parallel with urban planning departments, waxwings share a penchant for red berries – cotoneaster, hawthorn, pyracantha, and viburnum, making them urban birds with a sociable disposition. These creatures, unreserved in their interactions with humans, engage in acrobatic feeding, stripping trees bare before gracefully moving on.
Reports echo from various locales: “Five opposite Tesco,” “Twenty by Post Office,” “Thirty-eight at entrance to fitness centre car park.” As the monitoring intensifies from a South London abode, the anticipation crescendos, tracing the waxwing sightings down the map from Caithness to Cleveland and Norfolk.
Hope lingers in the air, urging the waxwings to grace West Norwood with their presence. Memories of a past encounter in Balham in 2016 fuel the desire for a closer rendezvous this winter. Envision the spectacle – waxwings savoring cotoneaster by Tesco Metro, gracefully hanging from the hawthorn in the cemetery, captivating the locals and rekindling a fervent interest in the natural world within the boundaries of this solidly urban environment.