Máistir Nádúraí: Appreciating a Songbird

1.16.2012

Appreciating a Songbird - Cedar Waxwing

Digiscoped Cedar Waxwing

That Cedar Waxwings often perch nearly motionless for extended periods makes them perfect bird portraiture subjects. But for their high-pitched and forlorn calls, they're quiet sentinels of the branch. When hearing a waxwing call, I'm never too sure how many I've stumbled upon until I actually look up and count them. Their calls are so soft that they blend together sounding like a single bird. They're exhibit a high degree of sociality during winter, so it's not uncommon to find a dozen or more of these elegant little birds perched together in a single fruit-bearing tree during winter. You can find such flocks almost anywhere there are trees with berries, even in your own backyard. Check out this poem I wrote a few years ago about waxwings!

Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI

Jan 14, 2012 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM

30 species

Canada Goose

Red-tailed Hawk

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl

Barred Owl

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Shrike

Blue Jay

American Crow

Horned Lark

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Lapland Longspur

American Tree Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Cardinal

House Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range firearms. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry and has more binoculars than you.