Bohemian Waxwings

I noticed a flock of birds landing in the trees by the road and rushed to get my binoculars. They were definitely waxwings and looked to be all the same size. They were Bohemian waxwings! We have two types in southern Vermont, the cedar waxwing being the most common, is smaller than the Bohemian. In the winter, if we're lucky, we might see an occasional Bohemian in with a group of cedar waxwings. But this flock was entirely Bohemians and I counted 140 in this picture alone.

 

 Bohemian waxwings are larger and grayer than the cedars but the best distinguishing markers are the reddish-orange color under the tail (undertail coverts) and the yellow and white pattern in the wings.

The destination of these beautiful birds was an old apple tree with a season of apples still hanging from the branches. They feasted for a while then something spooked the flock and they took off for destination unknown. I was lucky to be at the right place at just the right time.