Taking a break between football games yesterday afternoon, I went out back to enjoy the cool, sunny weather. There I was greeted by hundreds of cedar waxwings, moving among the shade trees and dropping into berry patches along our woodland border.
Unlike raucous armies of crows or grackles, this was a relatively silent invasion, broken only by scattered, soft whistles from the attractive visitors. Cedar waxings are sociable, amiable and cooperative nomads, spending most of the year in large, wandering flocks, searching for berries, insects and tasty flower petals. They may appear in the neighborhood for a day or two and then move on, not to be encountered for weeks or months. Their erratic visits, combined with their mild mannered nature and colorful plumage, make cedar waxwings a favorite of backyard birders.
Yesterday's invasion produced additional benefits as the activity of the large waxwing flock attracted other visitors. Within a short time, chickadees, titmice, yellow-rumped warblers, white-breasted nuthatches and a variety of woodpeckers appeared on the scene, sensing the presence of an easy meal. Many checked the feeders, seeming to know that a bounty of seed arrives with the cool, autumn weather; unfortunately, their provider has not yet purchased the handouts.
