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When Jon and I were in South Carolina we saw so many Cedar Waxwings.  Jeff wrote the other day that he believes Cedar Waxwings are the most elegant bird.  I think I can agree with that.

All the trees with berries were filled with waxwings.

I have previously lamented that all the waxwings leave Utah at the end of the summer.  I was so wrong!  Around the New Year I saw a huge flock of them in trees in my neighborhood.  I was completely transfixed.  They were eating berries.  The picture below is still from SC, but you get the idea.

I looked up the migration paths again and yes, waxwings stay in Utah for winter.  Crazy!  And then yesterday in my own backyard, there was a flock of waxwings.

I went outside to fill my feeder and I heard what sounded like birds sighing.  I knew it was a familiar noise and then I realized it was a waxwing noise.  I looked up, and there were at least 30 waxwings in the yard!  Since I had absolutely no time to go birding this weekend it was nice to be able to bird in my own backyard.

Waxwings are named for the tiny bits of red that appear and the tips of their wings.  The red looks just like the wick on a candle.  In addition, their feathers are so sleek that they could be coated in wax.

Waxwings love berries.  I returned to the same spot from a year ago and the waxwings were still there, eating berries from the same tree.  They noticed me watching them, but they didn’t mind.

One even fluffed up in my presence.

If you want to find a waxwing, check your fruit trees.