Cedar Waxwings Eating Wild Strawberries

[J&J]

We just had the great pleasure of watching a flock of Cedar Waxwings eating wild strawberries growing in our yard. These pictures were taken out the side door through two panes of glass so the clarity isn't the best but surely represents what we were watching. A very neat event. In the last 24 hours we've had one deer sighting, two fox sightings and now the Cedar Waxwings, all in our backyard!

 

[Trudy]

Wow, beautiful photos.

 

[Amicus]

I love Cedar Waxwings. A mob of them inhabited some trees along the shore of a pond I paddle over a decade ago, but just for a week or two and only for two years. I guess they move around. Beautiful birds - thanks for the pix.

 

[spider solo]

Yes, very nice !!

 

[TDawg]

Such cool birds.

Had the opportunity to watch them up close for a few years while working at a golf course in NH. There was a bush they'd pick clean of it's berries every late-spring. Occasionally they can get drunk by eating fermented berries, but I've never witnessed that personally.

 

[audrey]

J&J,
You've captured some wonderful photos out that side door...I hope you're there when Bigfoot or a cougar comes sniffing around. We can lay a few rumors to rest.

 

[Tim Seaver]

Great shots!

Wonderful birds, aren't they?

At least until you see a flock of them nuke your favorite blueberry bush in about 30 seconds We had to make a bird net "tent" for our bushes, as nothing else seemed to work.

If you ever happen upon a flock perched on a branch or wire, you can sometimes see they pass the berries from one bird to the next.

 

[Tom Rankin]

We're trying to grow strawberries and the Catbirds are eating ours!

 

[sierra]

We're trying to grow strawberries and the Catbirds are eating ours!

Tom I have had catbirds nesting in my yard for a couple of years now. I love them, but let me ask you something. Do you like thier calls? at first I thought it was annoying as yell, now Ive learned to like it very much. This year I put out a birdbath for the heck of it, the catbirds and the robins use it all day long.

 

[spider solo]

Couldn't resist mentioning
Just picked a nice fresh bowl of strawberries, last year we used netting mostly to keep chipmunks from them. This year we improved on the netting set up. Thus far it's looking good.

I like to hear Cat Birds though we don't have them in the yard...they talk stream of conciseness.. at least that is how I refer to them. Just talking away any thing that strikes it's fancy.

A Mocking bird on the other hand seems to mostly repeat things in sets of four.

It nice when you can pick them out by their "conversations"... the Cat Bird...laddi dadi da blah blee so id do meow etc etc.....endlessly

the Mocking bird..."look at that".."look at that"..."look at that"..."look at that"
it's me... it's me... it's me... it's me

I think the birds are related but need to go to a communication workshop

 

[erugs]

Wonderful birds, aren't they?

If you ever happen upon a flock perched on a branch or wire, you can sometimes see they pass the berries from one bird to the next.

I've heard that they pass the berries along because the process crushes the berries and helps them digest the food source.

Aren't they one of the smoothest looking birds ever?

 

[Stan]

Nice photos of a bird we'd like to see more of at home. The chadberry bush is a big draw.

 

[forestgnome]

beautiful!!!