Spring spring cedar waxwing
I’ve said it before, but there is perhaps no cooler-looking bird than a cedar waxwing. I was out walking on a break at work the other day and got to see a group of them fairly low in a tree. Normally they are way up there in the distant treetops and far out of the reach of my trusty little Canon Powershot. I ran to the car, grabbed my camera, ran back…and they were still there AND with a gorgeous blue sky background that you couldn’t have painted any better yourself. Wow…what a neat gift from the Lord!
I love the sharp contrasts waxwings have with their strong black mask, the bright white outline around it, soft browns and grays, then vibrant yellows and reds on the wing and tail tips. Stunning! These guys are like stealth bombers, especially considering how they flock together and then rain abundant droppings on whatever lies below. Park your car under a tree of waxwings, and you will know it (and then regret it). Park your open convertible under a tree of waxwings, and you just became a bird hunter. Yikes!
Oh those nutty waxwings! What are these two doing?! Write your own caption for this last one. If it’s good enough, maybe Shelley will send you some pecan cranberry bread from Zingerman’s (it’s a famous bakery up in Michigan supposedly, but you can’t feed the bread to your Canada geese)! Dave
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Okay, Dave, Adam is into this bird thing now too!! He has been watching all day. And we have some activity in our bluebird box. But, we think it is a chickadee. We have seen the chickadee chasing the bluebird away. Adam wants to know if it is unethical to dump the chickadee’s work out so the bluebird won’t leave? What do you think?
OMGosh…What beautiful photos you captured with that powershot!!! You are sooo right about them being such a stunning bird..all those colors on one bird!! to die for…
Love that last shot of the two bending down..are they looking for your car as a testing range??
Great post Dave!!
Dave – you really need to order this bread – though it might be out of season now on Zingerman’s site. I have several loaves frozen. I might need to send your family some so you can be addicts like mine – ha,ha! Excellent waxwing photos! The first one for some reason made me think of the “Coneheads” skit from old Saturday Night Live!
Looks like you waxwings are trapeze artists too!
Ruth, He is indeed! Thank you.
Candy, thanks! Mine too.
Ashleigh, good for Adam joining in the excitement! Well, you could dump the chickadee nest, but they would be excellent tenants to have as well. Chickadees are great birds and lots of fun. I’m surprised the chickadee is actually chasing the bigger bluebird! Bluebirds may be more beautiful and therefore more desirable, but personally, I’d only dump the nest if it belonged to a pest (house wren or house sparrow).
Tina, not my car! I wouldn’t dare park under those guys! Wonder if they ever bomb squirrels just for fun? :-)
Shelley, they do look like trapeze artists! Just playing with you about the Zingerman’s, of course. No need to send us any of the bread. Our address is… ;-)
Great pics Dave. I especially like the last pic. These birds are like synchronized swimmers but instead they’re synchronized limb resters.
Hi Dave,
This is a wonderful set of pictures. I love them and I did love this type of bird. I met the bohemian last year and fall in love with it. Such gorgeous birds!!
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Isn’t God so good to give us blessings in the form of beautiful birds?Your pictures look great.
Blessings,Ruth