Scottish berry trees are harbouring a secret invasion this Autumn as large numbers of migrant waxwings arrive from Scandinavia on a quest for food.

Waxwings are eye-catching birds, about the size of a plump starling, but pinky-brown in colour with striking markings and a punk-rocker crest.
Small numbers travel to the UK every year from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Northern Russia. But occasionally, larger flocks of the birds appear in what is termed an ‘irruption’.

Waxwings, Fair Isle, Shetland 25th October 2010 © Rebecca Nason, from the surfbirds galleries.
This mass invasion is temporary, and is probably caused by a shortage of berries in their winter feeding grounds.
RSPB Scotland’s Keith Morton, said: “People often get a bit of a shock when they see waxwings, as they really are quite spectacular-looking birds. They also seem to be quite unconcerned about hanging about in busy places, so it’s perfectly possible to see them in your garden or even a supermarket car park, basically, anywhere that has berry bushes or trees.
“Irruptions involve large numbers of waxwings appearing in the UK, sometimes in several waves over the autumn and early winter. If the Scottish berry crop is good these will stay and often break up into smaller flocks. If the berries run out here, the birds will move on again to England, Ireland or more southern areas in continental Europe.
“We used to estimate that this would happen perhaps once every ten years but there is no doubt that irruptions are getting more frequent and involving larger numbers. We don’t really know the reason for this, but one possible explanation might be that climate change has resulted in less consistent weather patterns which could result in more unpredictable berry crops. But it might just also be that the birds are having more productive breeding seasons – for whatever reason – and putting extra pressure on the northern berry crops so that they’re having to ‘irrupt’ from Scandinavia more often in search of food. ”
Waxwings can be spotted feeding in many types of berry trees, including hawthorn and rowan, and they are particularly fond of cotoneaster, which other birds tend to avoid. The wildlife charity is therefore urging gardeners to avoid cutting any hedges with the last berries of autumn still on them until they have all been eaten.
Numbers of waxwings in Scotland are likely to peak over the next few weeks as flocks travel across the country heading south and west. However, the birds often appear again in the early spring as they make their way back home.