Cedar Wax Wings, Southern USA (1 Viewer)

[Nichols]

Every spring, I await the return of the cedar wax wings who devour berries from 5 large holly trees. I live in Alabama and their arrival has been occurring at the same time for 25 plus years. This winter, they have all of a sudden appeared to feed on the holly trees. My question is: Has there been a change in the migration pattern? At the current rate of feeding, no berries will be left for any group arriving in the spring. Thanks for any information.

 

[KenM]

FWIW Nichols, on the other side of the pond (London) I’ve been awaiting the Redwing hordes to arrive, as they have done every October through to April (43 years), to devour my larder of Ivy berries.
Apart from the occasional bird flying over and the odd single in the trees outback they’re distinctly conspicuous by their absence.😮

 

[njlarsen]

Every spring, I await the return of the cedar wax wings who devour berries from 5 large holly trees. I live in Alabama and their arrival has been occurring at the same time for 25 plus years. This winter, they have all of a sudden appeared to feed on the holly trees. My question is: Has there been a change in the migration pattern? At the current rate of feeding, no berries will be left for any group arriving in the spring. Thanks for any information.

Global warming does change a lot of things
Niels

 

[nartreb]

Waxwings have a sort of nomadic feeding pattern independent of their seasonal migration. They'll spend a few days swarming one or a few stands of berries, then move on to a whole new neighborhood. Alabama is part of their normal wintering range, so I don't know why you haven't seen them in previous winters. Maybe holly is a berry of last resort (it stays on the tree reliably, unlike some other fruit) and there was a bad crop of whatever they usually eat first this year?