For the Birds

Western Tanager

It all started last Tuesday morning. I was standing at the balcony door a little before 8, contemplating breakfast and other items of consequence, when I noticed a bird in the loquat tree in front of my building. It wasn't a pigeon. It wasn't one of those tiny little sparrows, nor was it a European starling -- and thank Dog for that, cuz those suckers are noisy. It was a smooth, gray-brown bird of medium size with a buff underside and a black Hamburgler mask that sweeps up into a crest behind the head. There were three of them, and the Audubon Society confirmed that they were cedar waxwings.

Cedar Waxwing

They've come browsing through most every day, though they've moved to the tree across the street so I had to break out the binoculars to watch them. This watching is kind of funny -- I see movement among the foliage, I run to the window with the binocs and I watch. I watch them hop from branch to branch, grabbing seeds and grubs. I watch them play. I'm a nosy neighbor, but only to the birds.

American Goldfinch

Now there are about a dozen waxwings that come to the tree every day, which is really cool except they bully the goldfinches and tanagers. Yep, there are bright yellow birds in my neighborhood. I never would have guessed that there are bright birds here. In American cities you see pigeons, gulls, sparrows, maybe a robin or a duck. You don't see school-bus yellow birds with black wings and a black kippah (American goldfinch) or yellow birds with black wings and a bright red hood (western tanager). But I saw them. There must be more! I'd like to see a lazuli bunting, a red crossbill, and an evening grosbeak. And those are just the perching birds. Don't get me started on water birds.

Totals for 2007
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Cedar waxwing: 1 doz.
American goldfinch: 1 pr.
Western tanager: 1
House finch: 1 pr.
American kestrel: 1
Misc warbler: 1 pr.
Misc woodpecker: 1
California quail: 1 doz.