MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: WAXWING INVASION OF MACCLESFIELD

The current issue of my local paper has much coverage of a recent “invasion” of the waxwing, a rather attractive bird. So in a rare excursion into natural history rather than cryptozoology, here is what has been happening in the ornithological world in this part of England lately.

The rather lame headline on (Wed) November 10th was:

BERRY GOOD TIME TO SEE WAXWINGS

A beautiful bird has been spotted in Macclesfield this week thanks to the town`s bountiful berry supply.The influx of waxwings from their native arctic Russia and Scandanavia has created a buzz among the town`s birdwatchers. Some years, none come to country but when they do, Macclesfield is a prime location for the pink-ish bird about the size of a starling with a bold crest and intricate yellow and black waxy markings on their wing features. They are drawn to the rowan berry and hawthorn bushes planted years ago by Macclesfield council. On Macclesfield`s RSPB website there have been a couple of sightings logged at Standing Stones by Macclesfield Forest…[Treasurer] David Tolliday added “And in Macclesfield we`ve had a bumber year for berries thanks to a good summer.” Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the RSPB are calling for gardeners to avoid cutting berry-laden trees to give waxwings and other visitors like redwings and fieldfares the chance to feed. If you see a waxwing, go to bird.records@macclesfieldrspb.org.uk to report your sighting. (1)

Another part of the same paper said:

“Scouting parties [of waxwing-R] were seen as early as early as the last week of October, including 800 on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and…

250 in Stromness, Orkney;
200 in Inverness, Highland;
160 at Alness, Highland;
150 on Seil Island, Argyll
150 at Kinloss, Morayshire;
100 at Fort William,Highland
100 at Kyle of Lochalsh

They will be checking for the much rarer cedar waxwing from North America. In 1996 one was seen with a flock in Nottinghamshire.” (2)

1. Macclesfield Express Nov. 10th 2010 p. 18
2. Ibid Life Supplement p. 12

MUIRHEAD'S MYSTERIES: Macclesfield Wallabies are back?

Richard Muirhead is an old friend of the CFZ. I have been friends with him for 40 years now, since we were kids together in Hong Kong. He is undoubtedly one of the two best researchers I have ever met; he and Nigel Wright both have what Charlie Fort would have no doubt called a wild talent; a talent for going into a library, unearthing a stack of old newspapers, and coming back with some hitherto overlooked gem of arcane knowledge. Twice a week he wanders into the Macclesfield Public Library and comes out with enough material for a blog post....

Dear folks,

I have some new information on the wallabies said to roam the moors above Macclesfield. The Macclesfield Express has twice in the last few weeks reported on the status of wallabies supposed to have become extinct four years ago.

Firstly, on June 10th the cheesy headline 'Can Roo believe it?' reported: “After years of speculation, it appears there ARE wallabies living in Swythamley.” The rest of the article says nothing significant to add to this but does describe the animals as being in the plural.

Later, in the Macclesfield Express for June 24th, there was more substantial evidence of wallabies in this part of the north-west, with some interesting historical information. I quote:

“Do these new photographs prove that wallabies are still living up in the hills near Macclesfield? Hiker Andy Burton said he captured one of the elusive creatures on camera while trekking up the Roaches with friends…Wallabies were introduced to the Peak District in the 1930s by the Brocklehurst family, when five of the animals escaped from their private zoo at Roaches Hall. It's believed up to 50 were living on the moors at one time, but many were hunted and fears arose they had completely died out...A spokeswoman for Peak District Rangers service said there had been no official or confirmed wallaby sightings in four years."

GUEST BLOGGER RICHARD MUIRHEAD: A couple of interesting stories

As regular readers willknow, Richard is one of my dearest friends, and furthermore someone I have known since 1970 when we were children together in Hong Kong. He is a natural polymath, and one of the best researchers I have ever met. Proof of this particular pudding comes in these two stories which he fished out of his local public library..

I found the following two stories in the Macclesfield Courier and Stockport Express or Cheshire General Advertiser.(MCSE or CGA)

1."Wild Man- A wildman was lately caught in the forests of Hungary,by
a Wallachian, who first perceived him seated upon a tree, eating
leaves. He appeared to be 24 years of age,and had his back and chest
entirely overspread with a thick covering of hair: his skin was a dark
yellow. He expressed only confused cries and a sort of murmer. He
became melancholy at the sight of a forest or a garden and sought to
hide himself in such places. After having been kept 2 or 3 years in
captivity,he began to eat dressed meat,and from that moment his manners
became less savage; and his body losing a considerable portion of its
hairy covering,became less yellow. He is now quite civilized,and
performs the office of water-carrier;but never advances so far as to be
able to speak words and sentences in succession. MCSE or CGA March 23rd
1811.

2. An eagle of an immense size,was shot lately at Heaton Norris near
Stockport by Mr Geo.Bromiley of Gorton,which measured from tip to tip
of the wings 7 feet ten inches,in length 3 feet 4 inches,and weighed
nearly 18 pounds. This mighty monarch of the air was fired at when in
the very act of attacking a young pig,and being only slightly wounded
in the shoulder and back part of the head great pains were taken to
seure him alive,but from the very stout resistance he made,it became
necessary to kill him to prevent his escaping. He is now in the museum
of Mr Priestnall, surgeon, in Stockport, and is supposed to be the
largest Bird of the kind ever shot in England. MCSE or CGA March 30th
1811