Cedar Waxwing, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. A whole flock of Cedar Waxwings was working the ornamental Cherry Tree at Roger’s Pond Park in Kennebunk when I visited, looking for Eagles, just after noon yesterday. Though others found Eagles (I have seen the photos on Facebook) I did not…but the Waxwings were hard to miss. They were in and out of the cherry tree, very busy with the frozen fruit. I was able to work my way pretty close, and though they flew off to the the big Maples over the river, they quickly returned to their feast. Beautiful birds in a beautiful setting. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr. There is a poem.

A flock of twenty-seven Cedar

Waxwings work the frozen

berries of the ornamental

cherry tree at Roger’s Pond Park

just after noon today. Freezing

rain over night left each berry

encased in a shell of ice…

but the birds are avid, sometimes

fifteen in the tree at once,

picking the berries out of the

shells and popping them whole.

Perhaps, like Eiswein grapes,

the freeze concentrates the

sugars and makes the sour cherries

easier on Cedar Waxwing pallets…

or somehow more nutritious…

or maybe they are just on to

something we humans know

nothing about. I am almost tempted

to try a frozen cherry myself,

(though I know they are only

ornamental) to see what the

Cedar Waxwing fuss is all about.