Wow, nice pictures! And what a crop of berries on that tree! Al, robins are insectivorous in the breeding season, but change to eating fruit the rest of the year. That's how they manage to winter over (which they do in some number all across the prairies - almost any well wooded area, where people are out looking, will have a few recorded on Xmas bird counts), and how they survive their early migrations in March, when few insects are out and snow may cover the ground. Seems like strange behavior but apparently many groups (warblers, vireos, thrushes, etc.) are fruit-eaters on their wintering grounds, but feed themselves and their young on insects during breeding. The reason I say it seems strange is because on the wintering grounds (e.g. Central/South America), I'd guess insects would be plentiful. Perhaps insects provide superior nutrition during breeding and nesting (protein?)...just a guess. Konrad, the young you see in late summer are most likely Cedar Waxwings (as these are the common breeders on the prairies) - they are easily distinguished by yellow undertail coverts (the area on the underside of the tail and vent area that's brown on Bohemians, visible on your excellent photos); they also have a different wing pattern. If you are interested, keep an eye out for cedar waxwings in your flocks of bohemians; they are normally migratory but it is not too uncommon for one or two to hang out with a flock of bohemians and winter over with them. And the closer you are to the mountains, the greater the likelihood of seeing the odd bohemian, out of range, in the summer. Yes, amazingly beautiful birds - always such a pleasure to see!

Beautiful pictures and waxwings are probably my favorite bird. However, these appear to be Cedar waxwings, not Bohemian. Yes, Bohemian are larger, but they also swould have two white patches on their wings and a russet patch under their tail. The Cedar do not have the white wing patches and htey are white under the tail. From Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology: Bohemian Waxwing Cedar Waxwing (also from Cornell)

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.

What a wonderful experience that must have been! I get Cedar Waxwings on the Crabapples and Elderberries in back, but never more than a dozen or two, and usually a few at a time.