Waxwings plus

[Napper]

Hey!

Last evening I spotted large group of Cedar Waxwing circling the street looking for a place to settle.

This morning I found a large group 20 or more in a tree just down from our house. They were launching into the air catching insects.

In the back yard we have Cardinals, Doves, White Breasted Nuthatches, Red Breasted Nuthatches, a few junco's and a jay or two.

Out the Front door and across the street tons of Junco's, Jays, Starlings, Robins, House finch, House Sparrows. It is very noisy..

My poor wife is trying to sleep after a midnight shift,  if the construction behind us isn't enough the Jays are making a racket one was pounding on an acorn

inside the eavestrough beside her window.

Napper:))

ps here is a waxwing
http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/album09/waxwingoct23?full=1

[Howieh]

Lovely shot Napper. I just finished posting about my lack of waxwings on another thread; berries waiting, robins and waxwings always show up but I'm not always home when they do - here's hoping! I still haven't convinced my wife that the robins probably won't wake her at 4:30am like they do in late spring and early summer. As far as the blue jays are concerned I don't see many here but I know someone who has lots of feeders but every summer morning a couple of BJ's show up and squawk up a racket until they are provided with peanuts for breakfast -  and she says you can't put the peanuts out the night before because other critters will grab them.

[Napper]

Hey!

Howieh tanks for the reply!

Today we had a frenzy at the feeder.. It was nonstop.. Cickadee's, Goldfinch's plus everything I mentioned yesterday.

We had a Downy woodpecker hanging around the tree earlier this morning as well..


Again Jays using our eaves to break pine combs and acorns. Noisy Buggers!

The Waxwings moved into the Russian Olive tree and the Crab apple  next door today!

At least one  Junco was singing like it was spring today, was a little strange

Napper

[Howieh]

My computer room window overlooks a great platform for shooting videos. It's a double sided fence that has a flat two by four between two rows of slats so a couple of times a days I sprinkle feed and wait inside for the action to begin. As long as the squirrels or the sparrows don't show up first I often get great views of downies, nuthatches and of course chickadees and their families.

There are still a few bluejays around and I'm hoping they'll stay for the winter.

I don't see many housefinches but today I got a pretty good video of one on top of my feeder.

Lots of robins around but still no sign of any waxwings; a neighbour behind me has a mountain ash (I think) full of bright orange berries that usually attract robins and waxwings together so I'm still hopeful (just gotta be watching when they show up - usually a great photo-op 'cause the tree is small).

Mama cardinal is STILL feeding a young one; is that unusual for this time of year (the 'baby' female appears to be full grown).

[Howieh]

About a dozen cedar waxwings, along with a few robins, showed up in front of my house late this afternoon. Quite a few of them have mottled breast plumage; are these first year birds?

[Napper]

Hey!

Yes I think so, first year birds. Sorry for the delay.

Compare to first link way up there. See undertail, black and mottled breast.

see this second link  http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/album ... .sized.jpg

Edit oops! this might actually be a Bohemian Waxwing I am gonna have to look into this.

Napper

[thouc]

The picture is of a Cedar Waxwing. Undertail coverts are white.

[Napper]

Thanx

Thouc, I was just about to correct my post.

I found the correct info.   Coverts was the key.

I guess I leave the thread alone.

Napper

[Raven11:11]

where do you live?  I only saw them once in front of our place a few years ago. truly majestic.