Hanging Out

Day 240: Ohop Valley is an excellent locale for birdwatching, and although I'd stopped by in the hopes of catching a snapshot of a Yellowthroat, it was the Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) who stole the show. Their colors are clear, breasts and flanks unmarked by any of the flecks or speckles which camouflage other species, black facial masks outlined with white, and tailfeathers "dipped in yellow paint." A keen-eyed observer may be able to make out bright red, waxy drops on the tips of the secondary flight feathers, the physical feature which gives these birds their name. Cedar Waxwings are not related to jays as some people think, although their heads are similarly crested. They are a very gregarious species, often grouping in large flocks when feeding. A hundred Cedar Waxwings in a chokecherry tree is a sight to behold!