Cedar Waxwing - Jaseur d’Amérique
As the berries these birds rely on are starting to dwindle, they become more and more obvious in the woods, chasing the lower fruit. The paradox of a flying animal is that our ‘low hanging fruit’ is their ‘hard to reach’ fruit. But a hard, cold and long winter means all food supplies are tapped into.
I was able to observe a small flock as it cycled between three perches: buckthorn berries, snow to wash them down in nearby maples, and then a brief digestive pause in the shorter trees in the image. I find this species among the quickest to adapt to human presence, and continue about its business, as long as the observer is trying to minimize the intrusion. I watched where the cycle took the birds, and then planted myself beside my preferred perch, not moving for about a half hour. After a couple of minutes the birds resumed their cycle, and ignored me.
I preferred the digestive pause phase for photographs, though I had a lot of fun watching them eat the snow.
Cedar Waxwing - Jaseur d’Amérique
As the berries these birds rely on are starting to dwindle, they become more and more obvious in the woods, chasing the lower fruit. The paradox of a flying animal is that our ‘low hanging fruit’ is their ‘hard to reach’ fruit. But a hard, cold and long winter means all food supplies are tapped into.
I was able to observe a small flock as it cycled between three perches: buckthorn berries, snow to wash them down in nearby maples, and then a brief digestive pause in the shorter trees in the image. I find this species among the quickest to adapt to human presence, and continue about its business, as long as the observer is trying to minimize the intrusion. I watched where the cycle took the birds, and then planted myself beside my preferred perch, not moving for about a half hour. After a couple of minutes the birds resumed their cycle, and ignored me.
I preferred the digestive pause phase for photographs, though I had a lot of fun watching them eat the snow.