Waxwings

I've finally tracked down some Waxwings, albeit at twilight. A small flock of around ten were hanging around Guiseley retail park, occasionally descending to claim a berry from below (extras).

I'd been to look in the morning following a Twitter tip-off that they'd been spotted in this location yesterday. It was a beautifully sunny day, but no sign of Waxwings so I thought I'd wander up to Yeadon Tarn to see what was about. On the way I had a nice encounter with a Great Spotted Woodpecker in Nunroyd Park (extras).

At the Tarn the highlight was an impressive group of six cygnets being escorted around the lake by a pair of adult Mute Swans (extras - resisting the temptation to crop one to bring seven swans a swimming). A few Great Crested Grebes and a couple of Pochard were other notables, with a Kestrel keeping an eye on the adjacent airport (extras).

I took a side excursion into Yeadon Cemetery across the road before pausing for a spot of plane watching given the easy views of the Leeds-Bradford airport runway (extras) before returning to Guiseley in the late afternoon, where one more check of the trees brought the thrill of my first encounter with Waxwings.

Any other day I'd have been happy enough with the lovely frost, so I've added a couple of images from the community garden where I popped in the the morning on the way down to the train (extras).