Cedar waxwings, among my favorite songbirds, often gather in large flocks during the fall and winter months, a behavior that facilitates their discovery of food sources. However, early September is generally a bit too soon to observe such congregations.
Nevertheless, I encountered at least 120 of these attractive wanderers yesterday morning, at Phillips Lake in southeast Columbia. Despite the steady encroachment of residential and retail development, the waxwings must have found something of interest in the trees along the lakeshore. As my wife and I hiked along the graveled loop trail, they were observed in every lakeside grove; unlike noisy flocks of robins or blackbirds, the waxwings were politely quiet, save for an occasional soft whistle.
While we were fortunate to observe this waxwing spectacle, the eBird computers questioned my report (not an unusual occurrence). Rather than argue the point, I'll take the waxwing approach: calm cooperation.
