Cedar Waxwings
This is one of my favorite birds and a couple of weeks ago, Montana Girl featured one of her great photos of a Waxwing.
My story about Waxwings is when we lived in the South we used to visit a mall that had berry trees on both sides of the entrance. Those red berry loving Waxwings were around a lot, but they really didn't go crazy for the berries until they had fermented.
Then the trees would be covered with these birds, and after a while, the ground around them would be covered with Drunken Waxwings! They would stagger around until they couldn't walk or fly, you could go pick one up and they would give you the drunken birdie version of "Put me down, you Oaf!" But even then they couldn't even pick at you. Until that time, I had no idea birds would do this kind of thing!
I have a flowering crabapple tree that has their favored red berries on it, but don't think they ever reach the state of fermentedness these guys like. They do eat a lot of them anyway and if the Robins get there first, they are gone. Keeping an eye on that tree is one of Spring's fun things.
Here is someone who would like to have a lot of drunken birds on the ground. Oh yeah, she would!
I would like to thank Tex-Wis girl for her happy solution to my posting problem. She suggested I Chrome it, so I did, and this post
has been easier. Thank the rest of you for chirping in too.
Troutbirder wrote and said he had a new girl, Daisy, a beautiful German Shepherd. She was a rescue whose family could no longer care for her and one lucky pup to join the Troutbirder family!
We (Stella and I) are going to try to start March out and do a better job of posting. Think we can? We are not famous for it!
Cheers and hugs all around,
Jo, Stella and Zkhat
WE are SO glad that CHROME is working fur you. That is what WE finally had to go to.
ReplyDeleteYES, we are SURE you can do it.... We Love your posts and MISS you.
OMD wonder if SQUIRRELS would ever eat Fermented thingys... OH HECK... they don't NEED to... they are SQUIRRELY ENOUGH without adding Alcohol to the mix. RIGHT?
Love the info about the birds.
Howdy Stella Up Over, those birds sound kinda funny getting tiddly on the berries. Our mum says years ago (back in the olden days before kids) they had a german shepherd who used to eat the over ripe apricots when they fell from their tree and once he got drunk! Glad your computer stuffs is working better. The Cedar Waxwings are beautiful aren't they. No worries, and love, Stella and Rory
ReplyDeleteHa! Before I even read your post, or remembered that I told you that you could use my photo, I recognized it as mine! So glad to share it with you and our readers.
ReplyDeleteI think Waxwings are beautiful birds. I used to see them when I lived in Western Washington. Glad your computer woes seem to be resolved. Yay! Now if our winter woes will go away! I'm watching the last of the fish houses disappear off the lake this weekend. Hopefully Spring is not too far away although I think ice out will be in late May at this rate!
ReplyDeleteyay!!! glad to see you post again!!! every time you'd come by and comment, i wondered if you ever really got your computer issues worked out. so glad chrome is helping. hope it hangs in there for you!
ReplyDeleteI just realized I had misnamed Troutbirder's new pup. Her name is LILY, not Daisy, and I apologize to Lily and her new parents.
DeleteCheers,
Jo
Great story,Jo. We don't have those waxwings here, but we have lots of birds that love all sorts of berries. Then they are so drunk they fly right into the windows across the back of our house. That makes Mom have to hustle outside to find the bird to be sure it gets away before we find it.
ReplyDeleteWe too are trying to do a better job of posting but it isn't always easy.
Woos - Phantom, Ciara, and Lightning
HELLO Jo, Stella and Zkhat! What a good story! When we lived in Alaska we used to have Bohemian Waxwings that would do the same thing caused by a tree in my front yard. The first time I saw it, I thought something was wrong with the birds, but a neighbor told me what was going on--They were fun to see and watch, like people are who've had too much to drink too I suppose! :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you've figured out your blogging problems, I'll look forward to seeing your posts!! Take care, and I hope you're staying warm!!
What beautiful birds. But we are wondering how they survived Prohibition?
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Gail and Bertie.
LOL not angry birds drunk ones. Those would make any kitty happy. Have a marvellous Monday.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Molly
I've never seen this but have a new "highbush cranberry" which bore lots of red fruit this fall. A friend who recommended the plant said the berries ferment in the spring. Mmmmmm. He also has a GSD named Daisy you weren't to far off. Lily will no doubt meet Daisy this spring....:)
ReplyDeleteThe cedar waxwing is one of my favorite birds too. We usually have a small flock that visits for a couple of days in February, but for some strange reason our red-tipped photinia is devoid of berries this year so I haven't seen them.
ReplyDeleteI love Waxwings. We have the Cedar ones some years and the Bohemians other years. None this year, yet. I love your story of the drunken birds!
ReplyDelete