April 02, 2014

Wordless Wednesday:
Cedar waxwings on a sunny spring day

waxwing


waxwing7

41 comments:

  1. Once again I am so jealous of your cedar waxwings. We have only ever had one, and that was a couple of years ago. No fair! Great pictures, though.

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    1. I'm feeling an embarrassment of riches right now. I guess I've taken them for granted over the years. They're in our area year-round, but I don't see them much except this time of year when they mass in various trees. Yesterday, I heard their call and looked up to see dozens of them in the neighbors' Pine trees and a few spilling over into our Honey Locust trees.

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    1. Thanks. They're such pretty birds--the colors and matte feathers are so unique

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  3. Tres magnifique! I'm glad you captured it in beautiful photos!

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    1. Thank you! They were having a fun time sunning in the treetops yesterday. Now we're back to cold, windy weather and the waxwings are hiding out. Meanwhile, the robins are hopping around everywhere!

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  4. Lovely! I too saw an entire flock in my yard a few weeks ago, but I have no idea why they were there. No berries to speak of yet!

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    1. We have a lot of winter berries still on the trees. Apparently waxwings eat a lot of insects, too, so maybe you had some swarms that attracted them.

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  5. Cedar waxwings, lovely birds I have never seen before.

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    1. Yes, they're a sight to see. My photos don't do them justice, but they're especially beautiful if the light is just right. I hope to see more this spring...

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  6. I love this bird and each time I see a flock of them, I just stand and stare in amazement. Recently, with a group of birder/photographers, we all just watched them and I was the only one to get a photo before every last one left the tree. Nice photos Beth.

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    1. Thanks, Donna. The light was a little tricky and I had to zoom in from a distance, but the ones on those branches were rather patient with me ... as if to say, "Hurry up, lady. I want you to take my picture, but I'm not going to sit on this branch all day..."

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    1. Thanks, Lula. I always hear them first, and then see them. Wish I could get a little closer. ;-)

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  8. Very nice! I love bird watching. I don't see too many cedar waxwings!

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    1. I love to watch the birds, but I need to practice photographing them. The light is tricky, and they move so fast. Waxwings are shy, too, which makes them even harder to capture.

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  9. I love that bird and have seen flocks of them in Connecticut. But not nearly often enough. Nor did I preserve the experience as you did so brilliantly. Beautiful.

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    1. Thank you, Lee. I'm still learning when it comes to photographing moving objects. ;-)

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  10. They are so beautiful, both in voice, and feather.

    Jen

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  11. Who needs words when one can listen to bird? Beautiful birds and a lovely video!

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    1. Thanks, Deb. The video was embedded via YouTube to set the mood. Aren't they lovely birds?!

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  12. How wonderful! I am sitting here listening to the birds sing as I fiddle around on the computer. What a pleasure.

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    1. :) Glad you're enjoying the spring sounds from the YouTube video. Spring is making an appearance in my neighborhood now, and it's delightful after the lonnnng winter! You must be feeling the same way, Patty?

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  13. My neighbor up the road gets flocks of them when the elderberries are ripe. I don't know why they ignore ours.

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    1. They're slightly shy and mysterious birds. I hear them frequently, but it's sometimes hard to see them or photograph them because they hide. The other day, several of them were flying from the neighbor's evergreen trees to our Honey Locusts to bask in the bright sun. ;-)

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  14. They are such beautiful birds, so sleek

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    1. Yes, it's always a good day when I see these guys. :)

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  15. How lovely! I don’t think I have seen them before, but I don’t know much about birds – I have a lot of songbirds in my tall conifer at this time of year, really nice to hear when I am out in the garden but I have no idea what they are :-)
    Thanks for the video!

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    1. I'm not the best at birding ID (my dad is a pro!), but Cedar Waxwings are so unique. Their song and their plumage is different than other birds around here. I'm sure the birds love your beautiful garden, Helene!

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  16. I have only seen these in my garden one time, but I still look for them every year. You are quite lucky to have these beauties in your yard.

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    1. I hear them every spring, and usually catch sight of them. But they're hard to ID on sight from a great distance. Close and mid-range, you can't miss them. I think they like my neighbors' Pines and Cottonwoods, and then they hop on over to the upper branches of my Honey Locust trees. :)

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    1. Yes, the clear, bright skies on these warm spring days are wonderful!

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  18. Oh, yesterday we were finally able to take a walk, hear the chickadees and even do some tree trimming! GLORY! It has finally arrived for us here in the midwest!

    Thank you dear neighbor, for coming to visit. I shall continue to post monthly, and visit blogs. Be well, and enjoy your garden! Anita

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    1. So glad to hear you'll keep posting, Anita! I love your blog!

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  19. Great photos, Beth! Nothing like the song of birds to really make it feel like spring. I've never seen a cedar waxwing here; I'm envious you have so many!

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    1. Thanks, Rose! I'm surprised you haven't seen the waxwings by you. I do think they prefer areas near bodies of water--at least in my experience that's where I've seen them. We're a couple of blocks away from a mid-size lake, and I've seen them hopping along the shore at Devil's Lake, northwest of here, in the summer.

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  20. Wonderful!!!! Thanks for sharing the waxwings. I see them here on occasion but not anywhere near often enough. Lately all I see are grackles & starlings. ugh.

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    1. They are beautiful birds, aren't they? They seem to come and go around here, too, although apparently some overwinter here, believe it or not.

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  21. I can't wait to see these beauties in the garden...swallows just returned so I expect the waxwings, hummers and orioles soon.

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