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On the Wing: Waxwings, robins, and longspurs

By Margo Hearne
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Lapland Longspur in the seaweed. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

By Margo Hearne

The call of the wild. A flock of geese went over this morning, but there is no sign of the big migrant flocks that should be coming through shortly. What are showing up are flocks of small birds and they all cling to bare branches. Waxwings, those dramatic birds with crested heads, have a thin, high-pitched “seeee” call, not what one might expect from such elegant-looking birds, as they flit from tree to tree.

Both Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings are seen here, but only the Cedars nest. They are so quiet and private that you would hardly know they were there, but now that they are beginning to move along south, they gather in flocks of 20 to 30. They often sit high in the trees and this week, together with a flock of 120 robins, they all rushed around, feeding on remnant crab apples and mountain ash berries to fuel up for their journey. One can’t help but marvel at the diversity of birds and the habitat in which they need to survive.

Cedar Waxwings don’t always return to the same place every year. They are classified as “migrant, nomadic, uncommon summer, rare winter,” which is basically true. They migrate through here in spring and fall, often stripping every last berry from the bushes. They are nomadic, meaning they don’t always return to the same place each year, but will go where there is an abundance of food. They are uncommon in summer as, even through they nest here, they are not seen that often, and in winter we hardly see them at all. Any waxwings that show up here in the cold and wind are more likely to be Bohemian Waxwings.

Why “waxwing”?

Because of the red waxy substance on their wing tips. It looks a little like the red sealing wax used to secure secret messages long ago when the bird was given its name. The wax could be a sign that the birds are mature and ready to reproduce, a grand gesture to attract a mate.

Migrant warblers are on the move again. This week Myrtle Warblers joined the flighty gang, mostly flycatching from the top of cedar and spruce although they also fed on the ground beside the larger robins that more or less dominated the best spots to feed. At one point we were so surrounded by birds and noise that we almost had to close our ears — it was a phenomenon. It wasn’t until an eagle in a nearby tree flew off that we realised what had caused the racket. A big predator just waiting and creating mayhem. Birds can be very humourous.

There were a few Lapland Longspurs feeding in the seaweed on the high beach. They too are lovely-looking birds. In breeding plumage, they have a black and white head with a reddish contrasting nape, but in fall and winter they become much more muted with a buffy facemask and body. They feed low to the ground and, as we walked along, they seemed very tame as they moved slowly just ahead of us.