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cedar waxwing migration

11 years ago

I'm just out of st Louis & cedar waxwing sightings have been few & far between. looked out the window this morning & I could tell by it's sihlouette that this was not one of my regular birds. put the binoculars on it & it was a cedar waxwing. within 5 minutes there were at least a dozen. they've hung around all morning. I hope a pair moves into one our birdhouses

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Comments (12)

shillanorth Z4 AB
11 years ago
Such lovely birds.....lucky you!!!!
rober49
Original Author
11 years ago
went out in the afternoon & I counted 27 of them in a hackberry at the back of my lot & a few more drifting from tree to tree. heard a hawk call so I looked straight up & spotted a flock of pelicans riding the thermals. an hour later spotted a kestrel on a power line. twas a good day to look up!
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I had them eating apple blossoms, they also took berries still green, like honey berries and sour cherries. They could stay for a while as long they have a steady food source. I had them nest in evergreens, usually they time it when the berries are ready. Konrad
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Just today I've seen a nest with young...was wondering how late have you seen it in your area. I have known for late nesting and timed usually with berry crop...just getting late and only about 2 weeks away from freezing.
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I also never see the waxwings at my feeders, but they do appear when the winterberries are ripe, along with robins. The flocks will come and devour the berries and then go off to wherever they go next. Someone who posts on this forum, Konrad I think, has experience and wonderful pictures of cedar waxwings in Canada so he would have information for you. Claire
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buttoni, they were here in January and February eating the wax leaf ligustrum berries. They must not like the Yaupon Holly berries because they don't eat those until all the others are gone. Those are the two things I have that they eat. bostedo, what other berries do they like? Seems like an odd year for birds at my house. Not as many different ones as usual. I haven't had that many goldfinch and only saw Junco's a few times. Here's a picture taken 1/24/17 of the waxwings eating the wax leaf ligustrum berries.
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Konrad___far_north
11 years ago
Good for you!
It's the time of the year again and the cycle of live starts all over,..flocks will break apart when breeding and nesting, they don't nest in a bird house,...in trees.

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rober49
Original Author
11 years ago
great photos. I figured out the bird house thing when I drew a blank searching for cedar wax wing houses. I do have plenty of trees though......
myfrozenlittlepond
11 years ago
Those are beautiful photos, konrad. We see waxwings here in northern wisconsin but I have never seen a nest. Thank you for sharing.
Konrad___far_north
11 years ago
Thank you all!
Yesterday, a flock of similar species, Bohemian Waxwing in our neighborhood.
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
11 years ago
Great pics of the waxwings, as usual, Konrad. Did your wife get her annual wonderful pictures of the Bohemian Waxwing invasion?

Claire
Konrad___far_north
11 years ago
Yes she did! It seems they stick around for several weeks/month until flock disperses for breeding,.. still lots of Crab Apples, Mountain Ash, High bush Cranberry, Chokecherries, Russian Olive etc. around, they might even pick off new buds on trees. Only had ones a nest in the backyard around 25 years ago in a little spruce trees about 4 foot up, now that tree is HUGE.
Have never seen the Cedars here in winter, they soon will be returning and I will see usually several nest out on the hobby farm, [above pictures] planted several hundred spruce trees from seeds. Hardly ever see Bohemian nest,..I'll have to ask them where they go.
surya55_gw
11 years ago
Konrad, as always, your pics are stunning! Thx for bringing the beauty of nature so close to us.
rebeccah_2009
11 years ago
I have never got to see one of these birds. Do they come to my area? I live in Middle TN.
mnshutterbug
11 years ago
For the first time I had a couple in my crabapple tree the other day. Those are cool nest shots and the photo of the Bohemians is awesome.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIi3DdVFICI&list=UUgWUFVeHbOLgjpcVfjk1jAA&feature=share&index=1
rober49
Original Author
11 years ago
there's 1/2 dozen that seem to be staying. I've been seeing some almost every day

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