Cedar Waxwings . . .
A Lucky Girl equals A Happy Girl.
About 100 Cedar Waxwings visited our yard yesterday morning. Believe it or not, this was a Life Bird for me. We have two East Palatka Holly Trees in our yard. The last few years hundreds of Robins have feasted from them as they migrated north, but this year the Cedar Waxwings are beating them to it.
The black face mask and crest make it very distinctive, plus a bright yellow-tipped tail. Flocks of these birds can strip a berry tree in a few minutes!
Waxwings are known especially for a sweet act of cooperative behavior. A group of birds sitting on a branch will pass berries from one bird to another down the line until all have been fed. The name “waxwing” comes from the brilliant red tips of their secondary flight feathers which look like drops of bright red candle wax.
All of a sudden a woodpecker flew into the group. The woodpecker is not a large one, so by comparison, the Waxwings are even smaller than I thought. It's very hard to spot in this picture, but there is another woodpecker over to the left in the crook of the tree, too.
A nice close up . . .
Today Mary Lou and I are heading north to Floral City shortly to check out Recumbent Trikes. There’s a place there that rents them by the hour so you can ride one on a bike trail to try it out.
About 100 Cedar Waxwings visited our yard yesterday morning. Believe it or not, this was a Life Bird for me. We have two East Palatka Holly Trees in our yard. The last few years hundreds of Robins have feasted from them as they migrated north, but this year the Cedar Waxwings are beating them to it.
The black face mask and crest make it very distinctive, plus a bright yellow-tipped tail. Flocks of these birds can strip a berry tree in a few minutes!
Waxwings are known especially for a sweet act of cooperative behavior. A group of birds sitting on a branch will pass berries from one bird to another down the line until all have been fed. The name “waxwing” comes from the brilliant red tips of their secondary flight feathers which look like drops of bright red candle wax.
All of a sudden a woodpecker flew into the group. The woodpecker is not a large one, so by comparison, the Waxwings are even smaller than I thought. It's very hard to spot in this picture, but there is another woodpecker over to the left in the crook of the tree, too.
A nice close up . . .
Today Mary Lou and I are heading north to Floral City shortly to check out Recumbent Trikes. There’s a place there that rents them by the hour so you can ride one on a bike trail to try it out.