Cedar Waxwing Enjoying Some Berries

I was on my walk when I heard birds in a berry tree in a nearby yard. A quick glance revealed the painted silky yellow of cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum)!  There were maybe a half-dozen or a few more. I instantly did three things: took about five steps AWAY from the tree, pulled out my camera as smoothly as I could, and turned my back toward the wind, which was whipping flurries.

It was one of those hail-mary sorts of things: snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, free-hand, of course, and hoping for the best! Just let me get one shot, just one, I was thinking. Please, just one shot of these birds. Let even ONE of them be good. I snapped 13 shots and then the cedar waxwings flew away.

When I got the camera home, I uploaded my photos and discovered I'd been fortunate. I had a number of decent shots of the sweet little gorgeous birds. Here is my best shot for the day, of a hungry cedar waxwing, looking quite happy as it downs yet another berry!

Winter is when all outdoor creatures play a sort of hunger game. So my soundtrack song is from the Hunger Games film set - this one is from Mockingjay, part 1. Here's Jennifer Lawrence, with Hanging Tree. There are a number of versions; this one is is the alternative radio mix, and it almost has a folksy feel to it. Are you, are you, coming to the [berry] tree?