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How can I attract the waxwings? (1 Viewer)

Balego

Well-known member
I live in a suburban area, with a small yard hedged with cedar. Behind us is fields, but we dont get too many different species visit. Mostly grackles, robins, finches and mourning doves. My yard contains a pond with waterfall, bird bath, lots of flowers and some currant bushes, and there is some wild raspberries that creep through the hedge from the field. Many times a fair amount of cedar waxwings land in the maple tree in my neighbours yard, but they dont enter either yard. They flutter from branch to branch, seeming to want to come down, but never do. What could I do to entice them to visit? They dont go near the berries, and I dont imagine they would be interested in the seed in the feeders. I sit under the gazebo with my camera, hoping they will come closer, but in a couple of years of them spending sometimes an hour in the tree, none come to the yard. Any tips?

B
 
Try waiting til an hour before sunset

Balego said:
I live in a suburban area, with a small yard hedged with cedar. Behind us is fields, but we dont get too many different species visit. Mostly grackles, robins, finches and mourning doves. My yard contains a pond with waterfall, bird bath, lots of flowers and some currant bushes, and there is some wild raspberries that creep through the hedge from the field. Many times a fair amount of cedar waxwings land in the maple tree in my neighbours yard, but they dont enter either yard. They flutter from branch to branch, seeming to want to come down, but never do. What could I do to entice them to visit? They dont go near the berries, and I dont imagine they would be interested in the seed in the feeders. I sit under the gazebo with my camera, hoping they will come closer, but in a couple of years of them spending sometimes an hour in the tree, none come to the yard. Any tips

Dear Balego, These birds will strangely conglomerate in bushes about an hour before dark, and you can literally walk up to the bushes without spoking them, its amazing. Rarely have I seen these birds come to the ground during the day unless they are on a berry feeding frenzy. Grow some Hollie bushes for that wonderful experience. I recommend scanning the top of shrubery with your binoculars, at daylight's end and then walk up with your camera. Good luck.
 
Well, something in your habitat is attracting them, so the obvious thing is to increase the amount of what is so attractive to them -- the berry-bearing things.

However, waxwings are notorious for being fickle and flitty to the nth degree. They will very rarely do anything other than stop in for a bite and move on. It's the usual routine for them -- and the chances of luring them in to stick around for a while is, for all practical purposes, nil.

But don't give up hope! You're right about them not being interested in seed -- they like berries and insects. But developing habitat to attract them will attract lots of other birds as well.
 
Hi Balego,

Not sure that anything is going to guarantee them coming to your yard but I do know that when you're looking for Waxwings here old orchards are the place to try although they seem pretty happy with any fruit laden plants : Cherry, Serviceberry etc. I guess if you're really serious that you need to look at introducing some fall, winter, fruit beaing shrubs or trees to your garden.

Luke
 
Thanks for all the suggestions!
So far it seems the waxwings only come around during the day, and certainly not every day. There may be only a few, the odd time it looks like 20 or so, but as mentioned, they seem very flighty. They never seem to stay on one branch for more than a moment, certainly never long enough to pick up my camera (which is always by my side), and fire it up!
I've never seen them in the evening, so they obviously go somewhere else at that time. They rarely even come to the cedar hedge, which is quite high (about 12 feet), but stay in the big maple next door. I know my neighbour doesnt have any berries, but she does have a pond so maybe our water features are attracting them to at least take a peak?

Its frustrating to see them and not be able to get them closer. They are magnificent birds and to be able to observe them right in my yard would be wonderful. Wonder if I can squeeze in a cherry tree? ;)

B
 
Hi Balego

We used to have a problem here with having too many Cedar Waxwings getting drunk on Mountain Ash berries in the fall, then they hit our living room window!

I have noticed they like our saskatoon berries...

Marg
 
Hi Baleggo I see a great many waxwings at my local wetlands hawking or taking insects on the wing in addition to feeding on berries.If you get a hatching of those famouse Canadian skeeters thry'll be there for you.
Sam
 
Sorry, but as a Brit I have to say Waxwings as a garden bird? You lucky, lucky people! House Sparrows and Collared Doves are the main cast in my garden.

*Goes to drool over the NGS Field Guide again*

:)
 
Goonerbirder said:
Sorry, but as a Brit I have to say Waxwings as a garden bird? You lucky, lucky people! House Sparrows and Collared Doves are the main cast in my garden.

*Goes to drool over the NGS Field Guide again*

:)
Hi Goonerbirder

I wish I could see a lot fewer House Sparrows and Starlings here!!! I have Waxwings in the Blackberries occassionally..lately we have a lot of American Goldfinches eating thistle seeds, American Cardinals, Black-Capped chickadees, Grackles, eating sunflower seeds and Morning Doves being stupid as usual sunning themselves in the driveway oblivious to our cats who are afraid of bugs!

Marg
 
From Northern Iowa, USA--my best cedar waxwing attractors are crabapple trees (malus) and mountain ash. the waxwings appear in the spring and will eat the flowers from a crab apple tree with small blooms. They will sit in the bare branches of the mountain ash in early spring as if waiting for the berries.
 
Hi, Balego,

After being here two years, this is the first year the cedar waxwings would come into the yard. We have shaggy-bark and alligator juniper trees with tons of berries among the mixed conifers, and I have a small pond inside the fenced yard.

And it's the water that finally brought them in close enough to photograph! I also found they usually came in when the robins did, another water-loving species. However, as everyone else has already said, they are very flighty and if they see even movement in the house, they take off. The only photos I've gotten of them are through windows, and that's only if I'm already set up with the camera already aimed at the pond. They must have eyes where we can't see 'em!

Occasionally the'll take the juniper berries from the trees in the yard but most of the time we'd just hear their high-frequency whistles as they'd forage further afield. They are probably one of the most beautifully feathered birds I've ever seen, like they've been airbrushed! :)
 
Thanks for all the input, everyone. Maybe I can look around the nurseries for a berry tree that might fit in my rather small yard. It wouldnt be a problem if I could talk hubby into moving the garden shed over a dozen feet or so! ;)

A few years ago we lived in a small town and there was a huge crabapple tree in the yard. It would attract quite large flocks of waxwings occasionally.
I was mesmerized by the large numbers, and their incredible beauty.

B
 
Running water and Mountain Ash trees are the big attractions here. (The really red Mountain Ash - there is more than 1 kind.) We have Cedars all summer, and huge flocks of Bohemians in the winter. What handsome birds Waxwings are!

I know some people who have been able to attract Cedars by leaving peeled apple halves on their window sills. Who knew? :news:
 
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