All very ho ho ho.

Well, you can’t ignore a flock of eight Waxwings just down the road can you?
I drove over to Ormskirk this afternoon and parked up at Morrisons supermarket amongst the Xmas shoppers, then walked down to the perimeter wall to look across the road at the trees the Waxwings are feeding on.
The birds were trilling away (always a buzz to hear them before you see ’em) and occasionally headed off on short circular flights, usually when folk felt the need to stand right under the tree they were resting in (I feel your Bookface pain Clarko), or the comings and goings of Coronation Park got too noisy.

By standing at the edge of the supermarket the birds came right down to feed on the berry-heavy branches in the afternoon sun just across the road, and as you are sheltered by the high brick wall they showed very well.

The Waxwings didn’t seem at all bothered by the car-mageddon queues developing in and out as festive consumerism ran amok, but it was lovely seeing shoppers getting a thrill out of the birds – everyone who showed an interest enjoyed ’em – and why wouldn’t they, Waxwings are stonkers!
Five Blackbirds seemed to be trying to hold feeding territory around the trees but it was futile – I couldn’t blame them when you saw how some Waxwings may already be overdoing it in the festive excess stakes.
Someone may need to go on a diet come the new year…