Bohemian Waxwings

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

Why do great birds show up on lousy days of rainy, overcast skies? A flock of perhaps 30 of these Bohemian waxwings has been hanging out at school this week. They flock in the huge sugar maple at the top of the parking lot, like 50 feet away and in the top of the 50 ft. tall tree. My bug camera could barely zoom in on them enough. The wind was enough to keep focus poor. The lighting was simply awful. My tripod was at home. But I knew I had to capture them for documentation.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

Bohemian waxwings have a conservation rank of S3N in Vermont and G5 globally. Basically that means they are uncommon and may be in danger of extirpation. I don't know what the N means, but it could mean non-breeding. Vermont is not their breeding area. Their uncommon status was all it took to get instant verification at iNaturalist. 

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

I have seen them at school one other year, so it was exciting to see them again. I took five minutes from one math class to show photos of the species and to explain the significance of seeing them. I asked the students to help with observations and identification. 

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

I always use Cornell's All About Birds site for birds. (My father taught physics at Cornell for a bit in the forties.) The Bohemian waxwing page is here. Here is the range map:

Finally some life that is not a prickly porcupine!

Unfortunately, they are also not insects.

_/\_/\_