Perhaps once a year, if I’m lucky, I’ll get to see cedar waxwings. And that is only recently, in the last three years. One year I saw them on the Christmas Bird Count in Lake Oswego. The other two times have been in my backyard. Wait. Make that four times, and once the bird was dead. My cat had gotten him.
They visit the pigeon tree, the devil’s tree, about this time of year. Last year they beat out the band-tail pigeons who were left a bit hungry (and that’s a shame, for they are a species in decline in this area) but this year they came after. The band-tails are very flighty and shy. They bolt like cannon shots, noisy, send feathers flying, when startled (by coming and going from house or car). They tend to like the berries higher up.
The cedar waxwings will go a little further down on the tree (hence the killing by my cat) but they won’t (or haven’t yet) gone too far down, where there are a lot of berries about five feet up. (This is contrary to guide sources. Perhaps I have just not spent enough time with them.)
I was home today, not feeling 100%, and went outside to refresh bird water in the late afternoon, after the rains. I heard bird sounds I don’t often, a straight, high whisting note. And there were birds the size of finches bounding over the sky, from area to area. They headed back and around the yard and neighbors. I got my field glasses and went to the front yard and watched a while. There were many coming and going, I think maybe three groups or six or so. They’d cluster and the evident juveniles begged for food. I finally went back in the house to get my camera, and a few came back to the upper reaches of the trees.
Click through to get to larger photos (they also give you a little more image!), which are not great quality, but you’ll see a bit of the waxwings’ beauty.
I felt a lot better after spending time watching and listening to the birds. The waxwings were all around; over my left shoulder a nuthatch; chickadees were to my near right; the far right held jays and song sparrows. A flicker moved back and forth with his crying and squeaking. And in the distance, the artless grumble of a twin-engine plane.
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deb, this post is so relaxing. i must admit, i usually can’t tell one bird from another, so thank you for taking me along your bird-watching :)
Lovely! Waxwings are such beautiful birds. Our waxwing is unpredictable, there may be none or there may be hundreds. Last year i saw 50 very close to home, and its just wonderful to stop and watch them like you did too….
Yeah! Do they get drunk up there, or do they save it for further south? Down in Concord, CA, they’d get a bit tipsy from the fermenting berries… They certainly are fun to watch. Definitely miss them and the swarms of bushtits. At least here in GA we have tons of chickadees and wrens.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jason-riedy/tags/cedarwaxwing/
Jason
oh how relaxing this day turned out for you. gotta love days like this when you aren’t feeling good and you get one on one time with nature to lift your spirits. beautiful photos.
I saw my first in the spring. They were amazing little things, like small taupe cardinals with attitude. Our big old maple and the one across the street were busy for about an hour before they moved on, presumably anywhere but Tennessee.
Nice shots. I’ve never seen one in person, though they’re supposed to be fairly common down here in winter. They’re such beautiful birds.
Wow. It’s so nice to have you all here. Thank you!
It surprises me when common birds aren’t seen by other birders either, but I suppose that relates to habitat fragmentation.
And Odessa, I’m so glad you came birdwatching! :-)