Wildcat Canyon Regional Park
Thu, 1 May 2003
15:43:13 -0700
From: Wen Hsu
Today around noon, on Wildcat Creek Trail in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, a little north of the bridge (intersection of Wildcat Creek Trail and Rifle Range Road Trail), I saw several Bullock's Orioles, Western Tanagers, and numerous Cedar Waxwings feeding on the cream-colored flowers of a huge eucalyptus tree.
High up on this tree (which is on the east side of the trail), one large stem has a hole from which a branch grows. There is apparently enough room beneath the branch for two European Starlings to make a nest in that hole.
About a foot below the starling hole on the same stem, a pair of small holes (which look connected inside) were used by two Western Bluebirds. Both male and female were active, but only the female Bluebird took nesting material into the tree hole.
(Best view is from the north side of the tree.)
Cedar Waxwings and Western Tanagers were flying back and forth between this tree and another group of blooming eucalyptus on the west side of the trail and across the creek.
Wen Hsu
Berkeley
Mitchell Canyon, near Clayton
Thu, 1 May 2003
20:21:59 -0700
From: Steve Huckabone
Sunday April 27, I birded Mitchell Canyon [in Mt Diablo State Park, near Clayton] along with some other birders. We birded the canyon in the late afternoon before the bad weather arrived. We saw many of the normal western migrants: Western Tanager, Bullocks Oriole, Lazuli Buntings and several of the western Warblers. Most notable were approximately 50 Vaux's Swifts over the parking lot just before dark. Also I'd like to warn everyone that we encountered a rattlesnake near the creek by last year's Screech Owl tree. The snake was not aggressive but was surprising energetic despite the cool temperatures. Beware if you're going off trail! Good birding.
Steve Huckabone
Alameda County
Livermore California
Cedar Waxwing flock in Berkeley
Fri, 02 May
2003 12:09:54 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for Anne Jennings:
Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 13:07:55 EDT
Yesterday (Thursday) around 6:00 PM. a flock of Cedar Waxwings passed through my backyard in central Berkeley, no doubt the one that has been seen this week.
Anne Jennings
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
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Cedar Waxwings
Fri, 2 May 2003 12:38:37 -0700
From: Les Chibana
Large flocks of Cedar Waxwings are always an enchanting sight. EBBers should note that in the South Bay, it's not uncommon for them to be present into June. These late lingering birds are thought to be possibly non-breeders. But with Steve Glover's apparent breeding observation (last year?), perhaps some adventurous and opportunistic individuals may try to alter our awareness of their breeding range.
Les
Les Chibana
BirdNUTZTM - Ornigasmic
Birding http://www.birdnutz.com
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Cedar Waxwings on UC Berkeley campus
Fri,
02 May 2003 12:40:03 -0700
From: Sheila Dickie
I saw some Cedar Waxwings atop a pine tree on the UC Berkeley campus on Tuesday evening, enjoying the last rays of the sun.
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Where do Cedar Waxwings breed?
Fri, 02 May
2003 14:33:35 -0700
From: Lisa Owens-Viani
Where/what is their breeding range? I have seen lots of waxwings in Berkeley and in Richmond lately and it makes me wonder what they are doing here so late....
Lisa Owens-Viani
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Re: Cedar Waxwings on UC Berkeley campus
Fri,
2 May 2003 14:53:47 -0700
From: Ore Carmi
Every year I see a flock of hundreds of Cedar Waxwings on the UC Berkeley campus for a couple of days in early June, just before they disappear for good. (They gather in that same large eucalyptus where a pair of Cooper's Hawks has been nesting every year. Just north of Moffett Hall.)
ore,
Berkeley
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Re: Where do Cedar Waxwings breed?
Fri, 2
May 2003 17:11:23 -0700
From: Les Chibana
Lisa,
Take a look at your favorite field guide. What is depicted as their year- round and summer range is their breeding range. Most guides show the southern edge in coastal Northern California, somewhere into Mendocino County. The National Geographic Society guide (3rd edition, I don't know what the 4th ed. shows) doesn't show their range extending south into Modoc County as does Sibley, Kaufman, and ABC. Grinnell & Miller (1944) only mentions that the breeding range extends south into Humbolt County near Eureka. The Birds of North America account for the species (#309, Witmer, Mountjoy, and Elliot, 1997) describes a range closer to what the NGS guide shows. The latter supposedly has the most recent comprehensive account of distribution. It may be that field guides have a large fudge factor built into their range maps for various disparate reasons from viability of data over time to print registration on a small graphic.
The fact that many waxwings dawdle in our area into June is not because there are many non-breeders, as I had earlier stated. Witmer, et al, notes that this species, as a whole, has a later nesting season than many other birds. Their breeding is apparently timed with the availability of fruits. Although they do feed insects to their young, fruit is still a significant part of what is provided to the nestlings. This species apparently starts breeding in their second year, so they don't have many "second year non-breeders." The proximity of the southern edge of the breeding range and their tendency for late breeding explains why waxwings are still around the Bay Area in June.
By the way, Steve's breeding observation in Contra Costa County (?) of an adult feeding a fledgling (?) is not unprecedented for breeding south of their normal range, according to Witmer, et al. There have been breeding confirmations in Orange Co., New Mexico, Oklahoma, etc. It's also good to be aware that Cedar Waxwings do migrate in their immature plumage. So, immature waxwings seen in late summer/early fall are more likely migrants and not locally bred birds. You should observe breeding behavior, like adults feeding young, in order to have a viable breeding record.
Anyway, a long-winded way to say that you should expect that you'll see them around for a while, possibly into June.
Les
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