We had heard of a Waxwing being seen in Selfoss and when one appeared in our garden on February 1st we had actually been waiting for it. The Waxwing has now been with us for about five weeks much to our delight. This beautiful bird is in competition with the other birds that occupy our garden, i.e. Starlings, Redwings, Fieldfares and Blackbirds, and the Waxwing does not give in easily.  Apples is the item on the menu that they all crave, as well as the sunflower seeds, so there is sometimes a lot of commotion.

The Waxwing is a vagrant in Iceland and this one probably came to to the country in the autumn from Scandinavia.  Waxwings have been known to breed on and off in the last few summers in North and Northeast Iceland.

Not only did we have our precious family here for Christmas but also some very beautiful guests in the garden.  Two Bohemian Waxwings added to the festivities, as well as of course our usual Redpolls, Blackbirds, Redwings, Crossbills and Starlings. A lone Snow Bunting and a Brambling also enjoyed the Christmas feed we put out.

Merry Christmas and peace to everyone – in the hope that we can make our World a good place to live.

This magnificent Bohemian Waxwing has been in the garden for over a week now. It is older than the one from our blog in November which can be seen by the red tips on the wings and the yellow tips on the tail. The colour derives from colour pigments found in the fruit the Waxwings eat and these get bigger as the bird gets older.

Bohemian Waxwings are different from many other birds in that they do not claim territories and they don’t sing but have high-pitched calls. Having the Waxwing in the garden and seeing it from our windows is like having an ornament on display. 

There is a Bohemian Waxwing in our garden!  We have not had one since 2013 and we are happy. These magnificent birds do not go unnoticed as they are so different from all Icelandic birds. Bohemian Waxwings are vagrants in Iceland that probably come from Northern Eurasia.

Bohemian Waxwings breed in the northern forests of Eurasia and North America. They live on fruits and berries in the winter but insects in the summer. When food is scarce they take to travelling, often in groups. Sometimes groups from Eurasia visit Western Europe in search of food.

In the last two weeks it seems that groups have come to Iceland, mostly in the North. This is the only Bohemian Waxwing having been reported here in South Iceland this autumn.