Tuesday, March 4, 2008


"one.wax.wing"

This past Monday at noon outside our second floor office cafeteria window was perched a cedar wax wing in a wintry ornamental plum tree. Alone and lost to its world. Waxwings are normally birds that flock, very social away from their breeding grounds. It looked healthy. Hopefully tonight he will continue north and find cousins outside and beyond our cruel cold concrete canyon.

I think I saw my first cedar waxwing at Cape May, New Jersey years ago in the fall. The largest flock I ever saw had maybe a thousand birds.

Good luck, lost waxwing. In two months you will be farther north and in beautiful spring plumage, ready to breed and raise young. No TV or McDonald's for you. A steady diet of insects and berries. Eating slightly fermented berries by next fall. Waxwings can get drunk and they do it, socially.

Sampled from an usual suspects.

7 comments:

Kim said...

so many dimensions in this one John...
love the cousins outside and beyond our cruel cold concrete canyon alliteration...very poetic !!
do you know... our Aussie Kookaburras get high on eucalyptus leaves...that's why they sleep all day :)

Irene said...

Oh wow, how absolutely wow! How very much I can't get over it wow!

Now what do I do? Lately it has become sacrilege to alter your images. I feel I can no longer do it. The last ones have just blown me away and I feel that I am damaging masterworks by altering them. So I cease and desist right now and find my inspiration elsewhere.

You are so very much on a roll and beauty abounds, John. How wonderfully satisfying this must feel to you.

The Artful Eye said...

John, this piece is beautiful. There is so much going on here. I am seeing so many wonderful scenes within this one image.

You are on a roll!

The Cedar Wax Wing is so lovely. I wish I could see one of these up close. I've got my yard full of brightly colored Bullock's Orioles. Similiar colorations.

Lucky Dip Lisa said...

Wow, what ever it is your taking I want some. Opps, I mean what ever it is your doing keep it up! These are great! Love the trees, in both, love the colours and larger segments. The bottom one is a bit ghostly looking, I see why you found poltergiests in mine. An apiration... the 2nd is warmed by your colourful frames and looks like a place that I would like to hide in after the daughters Bday party tomorrow...solitude and calm! Love the wax wing story, need to follow your link. Can't wait see what you pull out of your heart.hat next.

Unknown said...

whenver i hear birds sing now, I think of you. this is a glorious piece full of color and life. i think you must have spring fever!
~sue okieffe

Kris Cahill said...

This is a fantastic piece. Love love it!! Nice info about the cedar waxwings too. Good story.

Debi said...

So much to enjoy in this one. A nice winter tale of bare trees, adoration of the sun when it shows, ice puddles, and the starkness of highline wires. Or so it invokes with me.

I love Cedar Waxwings and can count on one hand how many times I've seen them. I love their rolling whir. Like Kris and others said, it was a good story too.

You are doing good work, dear John.