Passing Through

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) 

The Bohemian Waxwing passes through the village in October as it heads south to its winter habitat and again in mid-to-late March when it flies back to its summer breeding grounds in the boreal forests of the far north.

Traveling in madcap flocks, waxwings stop along their way to fill up on berries, cherries and other fruit, and their appearance makes me smile, a fine thing indeed this year. The birds fly in circles around the old crabapple tree, gleefully dance from branch to branch, make crude comments to the nearby crows and starlings, laugh at their own jokes and pelt each other with frozen crabapples.

Bohemians are also seasonal harbingers, and their appearance in the front yard in late March often means that springtime is on its way.  This year, perhaps they should have waited for a few weeks - we still have a long way to go.