Birds Part Two: Waxwings at the Pond

The other day when I was watching the waxwings in the tree, I got too close in my attempts to take photos and they all flew off.  I went up to the deck with my laptop to write up my blog post about them. I was thrilled when they came back to a different tree -- in my neighbour's yard, but up against my fence. Suddenly I realized they were coming down in groups to drink out the pond Naomi and I have been creating in the backyard over the last 2 years. I couldn't have been more thrilled.  First critters of the season spotted using the pond.

Volleyball provincials

 

I'm exhausted. Silver medal was great, but we are wanted gold. 

This weekend was so exciting that I'm not even sure that I can report on it. 

I'll link to some of the video as well once I recuperate. 

Birds

I have been doing my first real yard work of the spring this morning.  I came out of my garage to the sudden sound of a flock of birds I didn't immediately recognize.  I looked up at the neighbours trees and saw a the flock of birds perched up high -- I knew I knew this bird but could not bring the name to mind.  "It's one Arta has pointed out to you at often the lake" a voice in my head told me. The name was just out of reach...  "they eat berries, you know this bird... you took one with a broken wing into your house in Lethbridge.  You drove it all the way to a vet outside Calgary hoping they could save it, when you knew a wild bird with a broken wing doesn't have good chances. When you called back 2 days later, sure enough, they had put it down. What as is that word...  bohemian!  A bohemian waxwing.  Or perhaps these ones are cedar waxwings." 

I stood there a long time, just listening.  Thrilled.  I kept thinking to myself, "go inside and get Axel." But what if my movement scared them away.  I decided just to stand there and watch and enjoy the sound, even though it was hurting my neck to look up so steeply.

Of course Arta was on my mind. I knew it wasn't actually her visiting me.  If she had a choice she would never choose to come back and inhabit an animal body.  

Suddenly something hit my chest.  I looked down and it was bird poop.  I was so close under the tree, that a bird poop hit me.  I laughed out loud.  Perhaps it was Arta visiting me afterall.

Can you spot the birds?

Update:  here is a video with their chirping sound