Feeding frenzy

I have never much cared for the mountain ash as an ornamental tree. Its leaves are not particularly showy, it is not spectacular in its growth, and it is messy in the fall. As a birder, however, a mountain ash, laden with thousands of bright orange berries, is to me one of the most exciting winter trees to have in a yard.

Most of the winter the tree will stand there in the snow, rather striking with its load of colorful berries, and unmolested except for the occasional robin who will take a few berries and then be on its way. One day, however, there will be a terrible ruckus in the yard, and within hours the tree will be stripped of every berry.

Several winters ago I was living in Dalton Gardens and we had two mountain ash trees. On a Sunday morning I heard a din reminiscent of the soundtrack from Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds," coming from the back yard. I went out to find lots of birds in constant motion and calling incessantly as they devoured the ripe berries from my two trees. It was an incredible spectacle.

The mixed flock of robins and waxwings numbered well over 100 birds, none of which took any notice of me standing under the tree, gaping. In the feeding frenzy, one robin crashed into a window and another flew in an open door. Most of the activity and noise, however, was coming from the waxwings, the chubby little crested birds with the cool black eyeliner and the sporty, yellow-striped tails.

Waxwings, named for the odd waxy-appearing red droplets at the tips of some of their wing feathers, are of two types: the cedar waxwing, commonly seen in Kootenai County throughout the year, and the nomadic, winter-only visitor, the Bohemian waxwing.

Waxwings are highly gregarious birds that spend their winter days searching as flocks for berries and fruit. In this search they travel widely and it is difficult to predict where you might find them. First, of course, you must locate fruit-laden trees. Kootenai County has lots of these in the winter, especially in urban areas. Then you must be in the right place at the right time - but there is no predicting when a roving flock will attack.

Several years ago I knew of several apple trees that still had some old, shriveled fruit hanging on bare branches at Best near Fourth Street in Coeur d'Alene. I made a point of driving that way whenever I had the opportunity and one day, strictly by chance, I saw a small mixed flock of the two species feeding.

Because of its scarcity and unpredictability, the larger and grayer Bohemian is a special treat for birders out braving the worst of the winter cold in search of these wandering flocks. Last winter, I saw two large flocks of Bohemians in northern Kootenai County, one in Bayview and another at Farragut State Park. Bayview has been one of the more consistent places where I have located Bohemian flocks.

More often, however, the larger flocks one sees are composed of cedars. I have read that in northern areas such as Kootenai County, large flocks of cedars often contain one or two Bohemians. Ever since, I have scanned all winter cedar flocks carefully, looking for the prize. This can make for a fun challenge.

In addition to size and overall coloration (these can be subtle differences in an active flock) Bohemians show yellow and white in their wings, but the unmistakable key to identifying them is the prominent cinnamon undertail area. Even in a moving flock, this patch stands out.

One winter several years ago, I was having no luck locating any Bohemian flocks, so I set out one particularly snowy day after any waxwing flock I could find, remembering the advice, about checking out each individual bird. Again by chance (although it was luck augmented by checking areas I knew had fruit trees) I located a large cedar waxwing flock.

Then, I sat in my car in the cold, trying not to look too suspicious with my binoculars and a peep hole through the frosted front window, and searched through the flock for about 40 minutes. And it paid off. I found a lone Bohemian working with 60 or so cedars. It required patience (which I generally have little of) and cold tolerance (which I have only while birding), but in the end I had two prizes - a good view of a beautiful and scarce bird, but also the satisfaction of having successfully used a strategy to find that bird.

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WHO TO CALL

Birding questions

Are there birds at your feeder you can't identify? Do you have questions about a bird you saw soaring the skies of Kootenai County? "Birding in Kootenai County" is a monthly feature of Handle Extra. Stephen L. Lindsay is an avid Kootenai County birder and encourages readers to e-mail him with birding questions. When possible, he will respond in future columns. His e-mail address is: [email protected].

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