At first, what drew my attention were the birds on top of the distant trees, sillouetted against the predawn sky. What were they?
Must be the hardy European Starlings, I thought. My birding instinct prodded me to get out of the house to find out, at 7:30 am, in -13C temperature.
As I got closer, their buzzing sound reminded me that I’d heard them before, in flocks, making sounds almost like cicadas, but lighter, more metallic and electric. By then, morning had broken. Indeed, they were not Starlings but Waxwings.
The sun shed its glorious light and I was much gratified to see that all those plump bellies were not Cedar Waxwings which I’d seen in the summer. From their grey pot belly, I could tell they were Bohemian Waxwings. Of course, they will be spending their winter here. The Cedar Waxwings had all gone south.
What attracted them to our neighborhood? My stalking skill led me to find out. Ah… berries:
It was a delight watching them feast on these frozen fruits for breakfast:
Got it!
Soon, washed by the glowing sunrise, their greyish plumage began to change into a magnificent color. No CGI (computer-generated images) here:
Just pure magical realism:
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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS POST TAKEN BY ARTI OF RIPPLE EFFECTS, NOVEMBER, 2013. PLEASE DO NOT COPY OR REBLOG.
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Ripple Effects 
Marvelous images! I wonder if I might have some Waxwings in my neighborhood too – I recognize the buzzing sound, actually I’m tempted to call it clamor. (In Norwegian they are called: Sidensvans)
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Sigrun,
I was lost for words to describe their collective calls. Thanks for intro. one in Norwegian. 😉
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Gorgeous photos, especially the ones where the bird has a berry in its mouth.
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BermudaOnion,
I was pleasantly surprised to see those pics too. Thanks for stopping by.
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Wow, it’s as if they have been infused by the berries, absolutely beautiful and to imagine their chirping chitter chatter, what joy. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
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Claire,
I like that… “infused by berries”. That would be a good title for this post. 😉
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Great shots! I would have guessed starlings, too, and probably not bothered to investigate further. I’m so glad that you did!
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Joy,
Glad I did too… but may not again, at that temp. 😉
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Wonderful waxwings! They visit here in winter, apparently – I’ve never seen them.
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Margaret,
I’m glad to say Waxwings are not too rare here, year round. They seem to take turn gratifying us, Bohemian and Cedar.
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Wow… The light and colour in these shots is amazing…!
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Michelle,
Yes, very beautiful… but maybe more so viewing on the computer than using our eyes in real life.
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Very nice photos!
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Thanks Ellen. Glad I ventured out.
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This photo essay is lovely, Arti! That is magical how their coloring changes after they eat a hearty breakfast. I’m glad that my after dinner indigestion doesn’t show in my coloring. I’m also glad that I read this in Manhattan where the temperature right now is a balmy 16C (I cheated and had to research the Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion).
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LA,
You wouldn’t believe what we’re having now… heavy blowing snow, -11C, and yes, I use Google to convert every time, that’s exactly 12.2F Things can change in 24 hrs, or fewer than that.
And you’re right. Nothing beats a hearty breakfast, to change our appearance, mood, or weight. 😉
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Lucky you! Bohemian Waxwings! They rarely venture far enough south for me to see them. I would have also guessed Starlings at first, but burr, that is too cold to go outside and find out!
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Leslie,
That was an impromptu, impulsive act. If I’d given it more thought, I probably would have just stayed indoor and watched from my window from afar. But then, I wouldn’t have seen all the beauty available so abundantly. 😉
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Very true, and I’m going to remember that the next time I lack motivation to get up and move. They are such gorgeous birds it would have been a shame to miss them.
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As per usual, yours are the best photos I’ve seen all day. Your bird photos are always phenomenal.
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Anne,
Thanks for visiting and the very kind words. 😉
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What a clever post. Your photos just draw us in, as we make the discoveries with you.
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Ginny,
I’m glad you’ve followed the ‘story’ as well as the photos. Yes, I’d like to intro. the ‘Bohemian Sunrise’ experience just as I saw it. Glad you like it. 😉
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Oh, lucky you. It will be another month or more before we see the Cedar Waxwings. I’m so glad you got out and about – these are wonderful photos. My favorites are the ones where the golden trees contrast with the gray of the birds, and the single bird with the berry in its beak.
Getting out and about, even when the conditions aren’t perfect, is part of it, isn’t it? Remember what Woody Allen said? “Eighty per cent of success is showing up.” I’m not exactly lazy, but I can be so easily tempted toward letting this or that slide because it seems like it might be – uncomfortable. You know. Like a cold late autumn morning. Thanks for taking it on for us!
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Linda,
I took these photos a week or two ago. Now, today, as well as tomorrow, we’re having heavy blowing snow. So that’s no fun to get out. I’d always go back to these photos to warm up.
And, thanks for your eloquent comment, and for reminding me of the key to success according to Woody Allen. I love that tidbit… that’s why I try to get out of bed every morning. 😉
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What beautiful birds 🙂
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Thanks booketta for visiting and leaving your comment. Glad you like them. 😉
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Spectacular shots! You win first place with these! Thanks for sharing them.
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Peggy,
Thanks for your kind words! 😉
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Oh, how I love to watch the flocking of starlings … that sudden swoop and burst of flight! Gorgeous! And cedar waxwings are just such striking birds to look at … those kohl stripes around the eyes are so dramatic!
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Susan,
Actually those were Bohemian Waxwings. And I’m glad I could have that chance to see them so early in the morning, hence, the beautiful colors. Thanks for stopping by the pond here at Ripple Effects and throwing in your two pebbles. 😉
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What an extraordinary series of photos. I ‘m so glad you went out to investigate. I particularly love that first picture of the single bird.
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Louise,
Thanks. I was pleasantly surprised too, cause when I was just snapping away, I really didn’t know how they would turn out. They were too fast for me to check my work.
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Oh, my! I’m so glad you stayed through sunrise to see the color change! As always, these are simply magnificent. At first, simply a series of polka dots on branches and then glorious creatures, as lovely as their Cedar cousins. Splendid in every way!
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Jeanie,
Yes, I’m glad I did too… didn’t realize it was -13C until I finished taking my photos. So, just wondering… does that mean ‘cold’ is merely a subjective sensation? 😉
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Bohemian Waxwings has to be one of the best bird names ever. And these are gorgeous photos, Arti. I don’t know how you’ve managed to capture the quality of the light so well – it’s glorious.
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I totally agree with you about that name. At first, I thought I’d name the title of this post: “Bohemian Sunrise”. But then I’d have given it away before coming to the sunrise pics. 😉
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Gorgeous photos! Almost hurts to see the beautiful spring when the wrath of winter has begun its lashing here. 🙂
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D.G.Kaye,
Thanks for your visit and kind comment!
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🙂
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Simply gorgeous! We were at -11C the other morning so I know how hard it is to get bundled up to face the chill. What a reward though!
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These are simply beautiful!
Seeing these images makes me a little more motivated to get bundled up and get outside!
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Alison,
Since you’re in a much warmer land than I’m, it should be much easier to step outdoor. I’ve enjoyed your photos of your family sojourn. BTW, thanks for linking to your Advent Readings post. 😉
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This is such a delightful series of photos, Arti! Truly a treat for the eyes. I love the golden glow of that sun on feathers. And the drift of the birds as they left the tree — what a moment!
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