Backyard 1/15--Cedar Waxwing

I was on the road at dawn on the way to New Egypt, but Rt 539 was closed, as it often is, probably another crash. Since there is no practical way of getting to New Egypt other than by 539, I turned around and went to my comfort zone of Whitesbog. With the temperature at 14 and a feels like at 0, I walked my four miles, but birds were at a premium. The most entertainment I got was stopping to watch a Downy Woodpecker chisel away at little tree bordering the Upper Reservoir. It was low on the trunk and the wood chips were flying. Every now and again I'd see something amber at the tip of its beak, whether they were insect eggs or sap I don't know, but it was amazing to see how fast one can strip away the bark. And how little food it gets for its efforts. 

Cedar Waxwing, Hermit Thrush
photo: Shari Zirlin

It hadn't warmed up much by the time I got back to the car, so I just went home. And saw a lot more birds at our heated bird bath than I did walking around the bogs and reservoirs. Shari told me that all morning the bath was busy and the first birds I saw on the rim were three Eastern Bluebirds. We see bluebirds sometimes in the dead trees near the house, but we can't recall ever having them come to the water. Then, a few minutes later, our FOY Cedar Waxwing came to the bath, chasing away a couple of finches. Again, waxwing is an occasional backyard bird, usually in the spring when there is fruit on the weeping cherry next door. Never seen one drinking water. 

And later Shari called me to come right away to the kitchen window, she saw the back of a thrush and wanted to know what it was. It flew off but I went outside and found a Hermit Thrush in the white pine. Hermit Thrush is a very infrequent visitor to our yard. Looking up my records, I see that this only the 5th one we've had and the first in almost 7 years. Shari was sitting at the storm door taking photos of the birds at the bath with her phone. Pretty good shots too considering that they're taken through glass with a phone. I heard her yelp and exclaim, "I got them," and there, in her photo was both the waxwing and the thrush on the rim. I guess we were the only open water source around today, because all the birds were fighting for a spot, doves, chickadees, titmice, robins, finches, yellow-rumps, even starlings and House Sparrows which are not very common in our backyard. I only wish today were a FeederWatch day; what a list I would have had!