Waxwings!

Lunchtime saw me driving down Southtown road, Great Yarmouth and just before the western end on the southern side, I could see around 47 Waxwing perched in a large tree in the linear park. Parking again at Lidl's, 3 photographers were very close to the Mountain Ash trees. One of their number was Perry F who had I not spoken to or seen for for years, (first seen, but not to talk to, after a long absence at the River Warbler at Thorpe Haddiscoe in the summer) so it was good to catch up.

Being autumnal birds they were heading for Mountain Ash or Rowan trees packed with orange berries at this time of the year (rather than Cotoneater/ Pyrancantha bushes that berry in the winter), in particular they were attracted to 3 berry laden Mountain Ash trees bordering the back of a line of some houses opposite the Three Bears Hotel and the Cobholm and Lichfield Community Play centre.

Sadly the Waxwings, around 18 or so or sometimes a group of up 47, spent most of their time flying around and over us in the murky half light , we were also treated to a cacophany of trilling calls as they flew over, they only settled briefly on the Mountain Ash's to voraciously feed and then fly up to the aerials or away. It was patently clear to me, and a newly arrived Peter C, that the photographers were far to close to the trees that the Waxwings wanted to feed in and a strategic retreat would have allowed the Waxwings time to feed from the trees for a period.

Some of the photographers were having none of it despite me mentioning it would be best to fall back a little way. Perhaps they thought all Waxwings were confiding, these obviously weren't.

What was the point in photographing them in such abysmal light anyway? Fieldcraft and the interests of the bird seems to be lacking with some of today's bird photographers.