A few of Sundays Bohemian Waxwing pictures.

The colors are so brilliant in the sun.

Plucking a berry from the cluster.

Swallowing the frozen berry.

A branch drooping under a heavy load, will be much lighter in a few seconds.

Whoops the picture wasn't attached.

This message was edited Jan 13, 2008 9:09 PM

A branch drooping under a heavy load, will be much lighter in a few seconds.

It works much better when I hit the Browse tab instead of the Send tab.

Move over!
We'll help pick the branch clean.

When the weather cleared up yesterday, many small flocks of Waxwings were flying back and forth crossing the city, searching for the few remaining barres. These trees are on the corner of 6th. Ave. & A Street a major central business district intersection. The Sunday traffic was light enough and the berries becoming hard to find, they finally moved in and stripped the trees. There are many Crab Apple trees heavy with fruit. The apple trees will be the next crop to harvest.

Gary

Beautiful pics Gary!!! So comical to see so many on 1 branch.

What is this thing you call "sun?" :D

Beautiful Gary!

Grasmussen,
Absolutely beautiful pics of the Waxwings. Would see many when I was a child and have no idea why the population in our area seems so depleted now.

Everyone,

Really am enjoying the birding forum with your pics.

I want Bohemian Cedar Waxwings!! Your pictures capture their beauty and I want some in my yard. (I sound like the spoiled girl from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)!

Nice photos, as always, Gary ........

*Mr. Beauregard from Willy Wonka*: "Well, Violet, if you want them you shall have them. Mr. Grasmussen, what'll you take for those birds?"

Actually Jo, Bohemian Waxwings and Cedar Waxwings are different species. Cedar WW are Bombycilla cedrorum and Bohemian WW are Bombycilla garullus. I didn't know this at first either, and thought maybe Gary was calling them "Bohemians" because of their behavior. Turns out, it's not just Gary, but the scientific community named them that because of their nomadic, bohemian nature.

Here's what Cornell's site says is the difference between the two:
"Bohemian Waxwing is slightly larger, has reddish under tail, gray belly, and white and yellow stripes on closed wing."

and conversely,
"Cedar Waxwing is slightly smaller, lacks reddish under tail and white and yellow stripes on closed wing, and has a yellowish belly"

*edited because I thought of a good joke :o)

This message was edited Jan 15, 2008 6:35 AM

Great, great, great pictures.
Thanks for sharing. Wonderful!

I am supposed to have Cedar Waxwings here so I am going to have to be on the lookout!!

Mrs. Ed, I am curious about this thing called 'sun' too!! lol

My bad, to forgot to tell you I love your Pics!!!!

This message was edited Jan 15, 2008 7:57 AM

We seem to only get the waxwings when the berries are ripe. Then they are elsewhere. They can sure strip a tree or a bush quickly.
I love them. They look like little bandits robbing the bushes of their fruit.

nanny, I saw one single one for the first time a few days ago in the top of a bare Post Oak. I had just read Debnes's thread on Cedar Waxwings and just like you, I had looked them up and was excited that I was "supposed" to have them. Keep a lookout and especially listen for their single high pitched note that sounds like "bzeeee". That's how I noticed mine. I heard a sound that was different.

Gary,
Your Pictures have touched me deeply. They are hauntingly beautiful.
Thank you so much.
I hope to return to Anchorage soon which I really like (I got hit by a car here in LA, minor setback, I hope).
Yearning to cruise around Turn Again Arm
-Don