Cedar Waxwings share a morsel. These two cedar waxwings are engaging in a typical species tradition of passing food. Given the spring season, this is probably a mated or courting pair. They may pass the morsel several times between them before the female finally eats it. Whatever the morsel is, it came from the white flowers that are in the frame. My guess is that the waxwings were working insects found in the flowers, as it is not time for seeds or fruits on that shrub just yet. I don’t know for certain what the tall flowering shrub or shrubby tree was, as it was out of my reach, but its likely a vibernum species.
This image was taken with a Nikon D90 and a Nikkor 70-300mm AF-S VR ED. I was full out at 300mm, and this is a crop of about 50%. Funny thing about the sleek plumage of waxwings is that even when they are in focus they make your lens look soft!
While I wish I didn’t need to crop quite so much, I’m really excited about this photograph. It is one of my most successful songbird photographs thus far. Catching behavior makes up a bit for the flaws. The setting sun is casting a golden light on the scene, which I was careful not to edit out.
Related articles
