The Bohemians Arrive!

Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) gorging on the rowan berries outside the library, at the top of Härnösand’s town park.  These two were part of a huge flock that restlessly filled the surrounding tree tops. Suddenly a portion of them would swoop down to the rowan trees and for a few minutes a whole tree would be fillled with birds flitting back and forth between branches. All that would come to a sudden end as the whole treeful seemed to panic and fly up, for no apparent reason. Once or twice the whole massive flock took flight together, whirled around the neighbouring trees momentarily and then settled back in this area.
All in all a very spectacular display.
The latin name, Bombycilla garrulus, means “silken tail” and the Swedish name for this bird is exactly that, in Swedish… sidensvans.