Having fun with the Cedar Waxwings again this year!
All comments welcome!
Lightroom for global tonal corrections and denoise, then into PS for some BG cleanup, canvas extension and text.
This is just gorgeous Diane!
The birds (seemingly) exchanging berries is a well fitting gesture for your holiday season. But I really love the colour combinations working so well together. The tips of the waxwings match the lichen and the blues and reds are beautiful. The OOF BG is delightful.
No nits…just envy!
Diane: We don’t have these beautiful critters here so I really envy you the experience. Of course if we did have them I might have to become a birder so my wallet should probably be grateful. Wonderful subjects, wonderful image. >=))>
A beautiful scene for a holiday card, Diane. Well chosen.
Beautiful, Diane! The Cedar Waxwing is one of my all-time favorite birds.
At my previous place there was big Black Oak not far from a very large Toyon bush. The Waxwings would perch in the Oak and then raid the bush for berries, operating in shifts. One day I counted 60 birds having a field day. That was the most I ever saw over a 15-year period.
The Toyon Bush is a protected plant in CA because it is a primary food source for Cedar Waxwings and other birds. They also like Pyracantha (sp?) berries.
What kind of berries are these in your photo?
Nice, fun image for the holidays!
-P
Thanks, @Glenys_Passier, @Bill_Fach, @Dennis_Plank and @Preston_Birdwell! Preston, I’m pretty sure this is a Hawthorn. The Waxwings mostly arrive in mobs and then suddenly spook and head elsewhere. This year there have been more Robins than Waxwings, especially on foggy mornings. I’m assuming the Robins are instrument-rated but not the Waxwings.
I just planted a Toyon so maybe we can get some up here. There are a lot of Pyracanthas around but the berries don’t seem to disappear. With all the vineyards around I think they have a feast on left-overs, and there are a lot of Persimmons – and a lot of the birds in my pictures have gooey stuff on their faces..
Diane, this is a great catch of the Cedar Waxwings exchanging “gifts”. The red berries stand out well. I do think a slight reduction in brightness on the birds would let their colors show better.
Hi Diane,
Great timing on your part to catch that berry nestled in the Cedar Waxwing’s bill. This makes for a wonderful holidays card and I love the splash of vibrant red color of the berries against the pale blues of the sky. Beautifully done IMO; no suggestions from me.
So pretty. Great winter scene. Love the waxwings!
Thanks, @Mark_Seaver, @Ed_Lowe and @framingtheuntamed – these birds have become my Holidays obsession as that’s the only time of year I ever manage to find them. And Thanks Mark for the EP – a lovely surprise!
Great birds - serious-looking but really playful. This is a wonderful shot, deserving to be sent far and wide. Well done, Diane!
