February Feathered Friends

Each Winter I look forward to the annual visit of Bohemian waxwings that feed on the berries produced on  Mountain Ash trees, commonly known as Dog berry trees. I did take note, as did everyone else, that the trees here this past summer were bursting with blossoms that in turn became loaded with berries in the Fall. There is a saying that if the trees are full of berries we are in for a hard, snowy Winter and less berries would predict an easier Winter. Guess what? The berries were dead on this year, we had tonnes of snow!!! Whatever the case the more berries the merrier for the birds, they flew and fed in swarms. It started here in late January lasting to mid February.

Whenever I saw them I was amazed at how they all flew in a synchronized pattern and in such large numbers. I was lucky enough to photograph them a couple of times, I even caught them in flight as seen below.There had to be hundreds of them and luckily for them there was a bumper crop of berries waiting to be feasted upon. As they decimated one area of Dog berry trees they would move farther along until they found the next batch.  

Here's another view of them after a freezing rain system iced all of the trees but that didn't stop

this gang. They still carried on flying around and feeding and if I do say so it made for some beautiful pictures.

 Then I was privileged enough to have the gang come into my yard, I had a hint they might   because of my Dog berry trees that would serve them a good breakfast some morning!

 It was also a rare treat to see them feeding along side of a group of robins, although the robins were far outnumbered. These robins are Northern robins who choose to stay instead of migrate south during the Winter. Most of the time it's the male who stays behind to get an early claim in on a territory for  the upcoming breeding season. Since they aren't in mating season they are a little more sociable with other birds as captured below.

      

 I even managed to catch them in the act of stuffing their little beaks full of the plump, red  berries.

After the feeding frenzy was over the bird gang moved on to another part of town to continue on devouring the berries. they certainly licked the platter clean.