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Waxwings

A huge flock of birds has recently arrived and have decimated the berries on the mountain ash tree.

Answer. These attractive birds are bohemian waxwings, so named because the tip of the wing shows a red almost warlike area. This refers to the sealing wax that was used for seals on documents years ago. However I don't know where the name Bohemian comes from. They are approximately 8.5" long and have a noticeable crest, black across the eye and the throat. The Okanagan valley with its orchards and vineyards provides large tracts of ideal winter habitat. The birds usually arrive in late October to mid November, usually a small noisy flock that grow rapidly to 300-1000 birds or more, They are often mixed in with cedar waxwings By late February or March some of the food supply can be strongly fermented and intoxication and sometimes death can occur. The birds breed in the sub alpine of the Rockies and the Coast Range

The mountain ash grows 1-5 metres and bears clusters of white flowers in the spring. It is known in Europe as the rowan (from the Swedish "runn", meaning secret or from the Norse "roan" meaning a charm, with the belief that the tree has the power to avert the evil eye). This was the tree that was used for the staves of a ladder "run-stafus" which appears to have given the names rungs of a ladder.

The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count will be held December 17th. If interested in joining a group or documenting sightings at a bird feeder please contact Chris Charlesworth at 491-9646.

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