Bohemian Waxwings

 

About four dozen Bohemian Waxwings have arrived.

The Bohemian Waxwing is an irruptive bird. Usually it winters in the north, but occasionally it irrupts southward in large numbers and then delights watchers as the arriving flock feeds. Then another few years go by when either very few or none will be seen.

This is a view of a handful of the waxwings high in a staging tree. They have gathered adjacent to the one with the berries. They then fly to the berry tree in waves, grab some food and return to the staging tree.

A Bohemian Waxwing flies off with its prize.

 

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5 Responses to Bohemian Waxwings

  1. Margo Saunders says:

    My pyracantha blossomed immensely, and now the berry branches are bowing to the ground all around, in extraordinary abundance. Very strange to see in this very dry year.
    Send your birdies here, please! They are so beautiful!

  2. Pamella Wik says:

    We had Bohemians here three days ago, always a delight. Thanks, Alistair, for mentioning their staging and then flight ritual. I didn’t realize. It seems the breast featherage – feathers? – the finest of any birds. Does that have a special name?

    • Alistair says:

      Pamella, I have not read about the way Bohemians use a staging tree as a base when feeding, but I have watched it enough times to recognize the pattern. Another thing to keep an eye out for in nearby trees is a watching Pygmy Owl — it finds Bohemians taste. I don’t know the name of the exceedingly fine feathering.

  3. Lois Theaker says:

    Like Margo Saunders, my pyracantha has outdone itself out here in Victoria. It is outside my art room window, and I keep waiting for the flutter of wings so that I can watch them as I work.

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