Cedar Waxwing and more

It was a beautiful morning with a fresh frost on the trees. It was just too nice to stay home. I packed up all of my paraphernalia (two cameras, binoculars, gloves and liners, hat, five layers of clothing, hiking boots, super thick socks) and headed out.

I started my day at QV where there was a juvenile bald eagle perched in a tree surrounded by more than a dozen photographer and their gear. Quite a sight! I got a picture of that. I hurried into the group but the eagle didn't stay much longer. It was looking away most of the time before it lifted off. Oh, well, not to worry. There has been a steady stream of eagles this year. On one day four were spotted on the ice with ten hovering overhead. They are always a "show-stopper."

I took a quick jaunt into Long Pond in the hopes of seeing the Black-backed woodpecker. He wasn't there. But, I did get a shot of a brown creeper. There were at least two shinnying up and down the tree. I thought that I should probably go home, but I didn't. I headed out to the Bauline Line Extension and hit the jackpot. The first pair of birds that I am sharing with you is a male and female White-winged Crossbill (above). The shot was taken from about 100 feet away and is a huge crop off the original image. The same applies to the picture of the Pine Grosbeaks (below).

Nevertheless, I posted two poor images for two reasons. First it is really nice to get a male and female in the same shot and second, because of the similar shots of Crossbills and Grosbeaks. The bills of the Grosbeak and Crossbill are very different: hence, their names. The grosbeak has a very large bill among the finch family. The Crossbill, as the name implies, has a beak like tiny sissors. The female Grosbeak is larger than the female Crossbill. The colors of the males are also different. The Grosbeak is more of a rose color and the Crossbill male is bright red at this time of year. See if you can note the differences, even with these poor pictures. (Unfortunately, the formatting in this blog is not working right or I would have placed the pictures side by side.)

As if it I hadn't seen enough already, I then came upon a flock of American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Pine Siskins, and a Purple Finch. This was my big day because I have chased all over the Avalon trying to find a Waxwing. When I saw it, the wait was worth it. It is a very different kind of bird. It has a crest, with body feathers that almost look like poured wax. Its coloring it bright and happy. That's it, it looks like a stately happy bird. (Image below)

All of these birds were mixed together feeding on Dogberries. I posted an image of an American Robin and a Cedar Waxwing below. Seeing them side-by-side in the tree, the Waxwing is a little larger than the Robin.

I talked to someone nearby who tells me that there is also a woodpecker that comes in the area. Guess where I am going in the morning! Oh, yes. I also thawed out some capelin to lure the eagle to my lens!

To cap off my day, I drove to Pouch Cove to get a glimpse of the White-winged Dove that has been frequenting a feeder in the area. Glimpse was what I got. It flew by twice but didn't land, and I didn't get a picture. Maybe next time!