Waxwings (further inland West Sussex on 15 January)

Sunday 15 January. A miserable forecast so we took cookie for a walk by the Adur. Lowish tide but few gulls and only a Little Grebe, Dunlin and 2 Reed Buntings worth noting. Back home I had settled into some trip preparation when John King phoned to say the East Grinstead Waxwings had reappeared and he was watching them - disappointingly they are not something I get news of on my pager. I left immediately and after a very wet journey up the A23 arrived at the Birches industrial Estate an hour later. They were not down the first road I tried but rounding a corner towards the end of the next a tree full were by the road. Superb. I then realised JK and others were watching them from the relative shelter of a bike stand so I joined them. After almost an hour they flew off east and although they had done similar i decided to head home via Crawley to see if the Rose-coloured Starling's plumage had advanced. After two hours under an umbrella seeing nothing I convinced myself the main plumage difference if I saw the bird would most likely be that it was now very wet so I gave up and left. 

Waxwings on the Birches Industrial Estate, East Grinstead. All 34 are in this image.

it is a very good day if I've seen a Waxwing

two red 'waxy' tips on this one

this one had four red tips, presumably that made it one of the leaders?

three red 'stripes' makes this one a sergeant

superb in flight too, especially when calling

all but one in this shot

all 34 here