Country diary: Willing the waxwings south | Lev Parikian

West Norwood, south London: These spectacular berry lovers have made it down here before, and conditions are tantalisingly in our favourIt starts with four words on the Birdguides app: "Six by community centre." It's mid?October, the community centre is in the Northern Isles and the "six" are the first indication that over the next few months we may be in for a treat.It's looking like a waxwing winter. Distinctive birds, waxwings. Stocky, starling-sized, their soft beige plumage tinged with pink. Black eye-mask and prominent crest lend a bandit-punk air, and they accessorise with style: yellow wing flashes, matching tail band, contrasting sealing-wax-red spikes - the origin of their name - on the secondary wing feathers. Continue reading...