Critter Heavy

I was happy to see that the cedar waxwings had returned to the stretch of the Ashuelot River I visit frequently. They always appear when the berries start ripening and when the evening sun has a certain slant. They’re beautiful sleek birds that are fun to watch as they fly back and forth across the river. On the evening this shot was taken I noticed most of the birds were facing into the wind out of the west with their mouths open, like the one in the photo. It was near 90 degrees that evening, and I’ve heard birds do this to cool off. I was in the shade but it was still hot so I didn’t stay long. Instead I came here a few times to get these shots. This shot shows the dab of red on the wing tips that gives this bird its name. Whoever named it apparently thought the bird’s wings looked as if they had been dipped in red wax but according to Cool Green Science by the Nature Conservancy, if the bird eats enough of the right kind of berries over time it will secrete the organic pigment…