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The Cedar Waxwing is one of North America's most striking birds. They are a type of silky flycatcher, with a crest, a yellow-tipped tail, a black mask neatly outlined in white, and red waxy tips to the wing feathers that are not always visible (thus "waxwing"). Cedar Waxwings breed in southern Canada and the northern half of the U.S., and winter in the U.S., Mexico, and Central America. Cedar Waxwings love berries, which they swallow whole, and with the spread of ornamental berry trees in landscaping these birds are increasingly common in towns and suburbs. During courtship, males and females hop towards each other, sometimes touching their bills together. Males often pass a small item like a fruit to the female, which hops away and then returns giving back the item to the male. The female Cedar Waxwing selects the nest site and does almost all the nest building, occasionally saving time by taking nest materials from other birds' nests. Four Seasons birders welcome the first Cedar Waxwings of the season in November and say "so-long" in April. Look for a very tight flock that zig-zags then disappears into a tree. Listen for their high-pitched calls, which will be inaudible to some of us "active adults!" ~ Steve Edelman Birding CLUB Bird of the Month FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2019 59 The Birding Club welcomes beginning and experienced birders to start or hone bird identification skills. Our main activity is a monthly bird walk along Four Seasons' nature trails, which follow native riparian woodlands. We keep a list of all species observed at Four Seasons and take field trips to nearby birding hot spots. Some Four Seasons first records were recorded as winter birds arrive: on Nov. 3 I detected a Fox Sparrow among the other finches/ sparrows at my feeder, on Nov. 9 Barbara Wasco reported a Green- backed Heron at the pond in front of The Lodge, and on Dec. 1, I had a Golden-crowned Sparrow at my feeder. These sightings bring the Four Seasons total to 85 species. Our Dec. 1 bird walk produced 25 species, which ties our previous record. Highlights included about 10 Mountain Chickadees, a flock of at least 50 Bushtits (our tiniest bird), the first Greater Roadrunner and American Robins we've seen on a bird walk, and the first Cedar Waxwings of the winter season (our Bird of the Month). We meet on the first Saturday of the month at 8 am at the Trail A trailhead (Lodge parking lot). Email steve.h.edelman@gmail.com for current schedule and information. ~ Steve Edelman The Birding Club on Trail A during the Dec. 1 bird walk. Photo by an anonymous dog-walker Cedar Waxwing. Photo by FSBC member Jesse Martinez during our Dec. 1 bird walk

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