Another set of the Cedar Waxwings eating mulberries.
Port Royal, SC
March 29, 2024
Cedar Waxwings Eating Mulberries, 2
Tag Archives: Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwings Getting A Drink
On some sort of secret signal this Cedar Waxwing flock descended onto a storm drain cover in the sidewalk that was holding a bit of water.
There was no scuffling or shoving, they just dropped in and a few got a sip.
Some of them stood on the periphery and watched.
A few fluttered in and a few fluttered out.
The yellow tail tip was visible on a few of these birds.
On another signal, off they went. You can see on the cover that couldn’t have been a cup of water all together.
Port Royal, SC
March 29, 2024
Cedar Waxwings Eating Mulberries
I had spotted a half dozen Cedar Waxwings in a nature area, backlit and high above me and really had no hope of getting any photos. Then I took a stroll on a residential street on the edge of the preserve and was nearly divebombed by this crew.
It was a real treat to watch a flock of about 50 Cedar Waxwings zip in and out of a mulberry tree that hung over the road.
The branches were bouncing up and down and every time a car drove by the birds scattered.
Good timing for me, there was a ten minute gap with no cars and the serious eating began.
They hung onto the berries almost like prizes and even worked together to break off bits.
Port Royal, SC
March 29, 2024
A Tree Full of Something
I often take shots of birds in the distance not knowing just what they are either due to distance or lighting. Zooming in on a shot in camera sometimes is enough to determine if getting closer is worth it and sometimes I find out what I thought was a bird is a stick or knot in a tree.
I was sure these were birds, but didn’t know what kind. The whole flocks was being quiet and very still. The overcast sky made it difficult to identify any markings from my initial sighting. The path was easy so I got closer and was delighted to see the yellow tail tips of Cedar Waxwings.
They were all quietly looking out over a pond, taking a break before initiating a feeding frenzy in a nearby tree with attractive red fruits.
A short while later they went back to resting. I was able to observe them from the other side of the tree, getting a marginally better lit shot.
The Birds
A glance out the window this afternoon found our chestnut tree full of birds. There was a lot of noisy activity around them, but a core group just sat there. I fetched the camera from upstairs, changed the lens , and still they sat.
After watching awhile I realized they were mostly Cedar Waxwings, which we rarely see, with a variety of our regulars mixed in. An hour later most of them were still there.
