As I was trekking about at Huntley Meadows Park on Saturday, I was thrilled to spot this Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), a species that don’t see very often at the park. Normally when I do see one, it is buried in the branches or is far away, but this bird posed for a moment on a branch and I was able to get an unobstructed shot of it. The Cedar Waxwing was in the shade, but its silhouette is unmistakable and I could identify it immediately.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great shot. Perfect background.
Such an intense look. Great shot Mike.
Thanks, Dan. I think Cedar Waxwings look particularly dashing with that black mask. (What can I say, I grew up with the Lone Ranger and Zorro.)
I love cedar waxwings! They are magnificent.
I love them too–they have such a cool look to them. I see them so infrequently, alas, which made my recent sighting so special to me.
They’re a beautiful bird. So sleek.
They definitely have a distinctive look that I happen to love.
Cedar Wax wings are my favorite bird. One March in NJ, we were having a snow storm and a whole flock flew into the holly tree right outside my dining room window. Such a beautiful sight. I had not seen them ever in my yard.
With the snow and their stately colors against the holly tree, it was like a Christmas Card.
That’s a great visual image, Sally. Cedar Waxwings are such cool-looking and distinctive birds. It was a bit unusual for me to see a single one, but that was all that I spotted. I try to keep shooting throughout the winter and it’s really special to be able to capture birds against a backdrop of the snow, like this shot of a robin from earlier this year. https://michaelqpowell.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/robin-in-the-snow/
You luck dawg — Cedar Waxwing is one of my favorite species of bird!
I spotted him over at my vernal pool, where you once saw me wade.
Wow, the colors in this image are just beautiful. What a lovely portrait.