Every year towards the last of January our Mountain Ash Tree ( also called a Rowan) gets mobbed with Robins and Cedar Waxwings . In a twenty-four hour period they vacuum up every remains berry on the tree. This is one of the outstanding memories of January for me.
This year I tried to capture some photos of it, but most were out of focus. the birds are on the move; fast! this was the last on the card.
Waxwings are stunningly beautiful!
We used to have a crab apple tree in the backyard that came into bloom in time for the annual cedar waxwing migration. What I presumed were a pair would face each other and one would pass petals to the other, and the other one would accept the “gift”! It was magical! I understand the male will also pass berries and nesting materials to the female in this courtship ritual. They are an attractive, appealing bird and I enjoy their chatter when they arrive for their brief stay here. That distribution map indicated they are year around residents where I live, yet I don’t recall ever seeing them here except in spring. It may be they’ve increased their presence here since I was more active birding.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/lifehistory
I think we lack their favored habitat near where I live. I only see them rarely and mostly at this time of year, but they are great to watch…they seem more “genteel” than the robins. the robins are like a Black Friday mob in the tree. Xenia, needless to say watched every moment of the feeding frenzy. She needed a long nap afterward.
LOL! I bet she did! Once the city required the flowering crab apple tree to be cut down because it interfered with a power line, TI saw the cedar waxwings less frequently in such an easy to see place. Ironically, sadly, once the tree was chopped down, the city moved the power line. Vandals!
Always a shame when trees like that get taken down, rather than properly trimmed.
I was livid when it happened. I was a beautiful tree and especially so since it came into bloom in spring and produced small but usable crab apples (jelly, syrup). It was even worse that after they took it out, they moved the power line where it wouldn’t have been necessary to chop the tree down after all. I live in Nebraska, where Arbor Day started in the USA. I, like most Nebraskans, have a strong feeling about trees and their care. Cutting one down better be because the tree is dead or dying!
Here in Massachusetts where I live, we are fortunate to have a plethora of trees. So much so that they are taken for granted. Most of the small projects that I do are made from salvaged wood. It just would go to waste otherwise. I have lots of trouble understanding how people can’t understand the contribution of a tree to our lives.
I burn wood for heat – it’s economical here – every time I go to the woodpile I’m picking through and putting pieces aside for resawing- too good to burn.
There are some people here who make use of fruit wood, example, to smoke meat or to add to barbeque coals.
I never met a cherry or apple log I did not like!
LOL! Yes, they deserve to be eaten!
So glad the birds come for an annual feast on Rowan’s last berries. A great example of a Last Photo. Has everything that delights me Lou. Thanks for joining in 🙂 🙂
The cedar waxwings feast every year on the neighbours Mountain Ash and then leave their calling cards all over my car!