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Re: Anyone seen waxwings in the Peidmont yet?



Hi Josh and all,

I had my first Waxwings of the fall in my yard yesterday.  At first I was 
watching the plentiful Robins that were alternating between perching 
and feeding in the cedars.  I thought I made out the silhouette of a single 
Waxwing, with its "comb-backed" tuft, on a far off sweetgum, but convinced 
myself that it was probably a cardinal.  However I kept my eyes open.  I 
was rewarded with some great looks at other winter birds - a 
White-Throated Sparrow, several Juncos, a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, a 
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, some Yellow-Rumped Warblers, and even a couple 
of Chipping Sparrows (do these stay on through the winter??) - as well as a 
gorgeous adult Red Tailed Hawk and a male Cooper's cruising the treetops 
trying to spot unwary prey.  

Finally, my patience paid off - I looked up in a nearby pine, and 
perching on a trumpet creeper vine was one Cedar Waxwing!  It seemed 
content to just rest there, but soon joined a cedar already full of many 
of the aforementioned birds (well, not the hawks obviously).  Then, 
icing on the cake: looking behind me in a leafless tree hanging over 
this corner of the field, I saw two female Purple Finches.  WOW!!  Both on 
the same day during some most un-winterlike November weather.  About ten 
minutes later I saw a flow of 20 birds take flight across the field from 
a stand of pines.  I heard the characteristic wheezing call, 
and looked up as they passed over me.  Yep, all Cedar Waxwings!

All in all, a great day to be outside.

Ken Klapper
kklapper@acpub.duke.edu
Durham, NC