Photographing Cedar Waxwings In The Wasatch Mountains

Adult Cedar Waxwing against a green background – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC,  natural light

Snow is blowing sideways this morning, the temps have dropped 12 degrees since I woke up and the forecast for this morning is wintry so I thought I’d post some photos from warmer, calmer days.

For a couple of years now I have enjoyed photographing Cedar Waxwings high up in the Wasatch Mountains from spring through the tail end of autumn. I’ve been hoping to photograph this species during the winter with snow in the images but so far I haven’t had that opportunity. I hear them in winter, but they have never been as close to me as they get during spring, summer and fall.

This Cedar Waxwing was photographed just after the season changed from spring to summer in June of 2018 and the fresh spring growth behind the waxwing gave me this clean, green background behind the bird. There were other waxwings in the area and this bird was watching them.

Adult Cedar Waxwing perched on a branch in the Wasatch Mountains – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC,  natural light

In the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah Cedar Waxwings are very busy during the month of June because they are courting, mating and building their nests. I usually hear this species before I see them and by using their calls I can usually locate them. When I took this image of this Cedar Waxwing in early June of 2018 I could hear the calls of other waxwings in the area.

I always feel fortunate when waxwings perch out in the open where I can photograph them without distracting elements in the fore or background…

Blooming Hawthorn with an adult Cedar Waxwing – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR,  natural light

Because quite often Cedar Waxwings are tucked into the branches, trunks and leaves of trees or hidden from my view. When they are at the front of blooming trees like this hawthorn I am able to take photos where most of the bird is in plain view.

In this photo take in June of 2019 in the East Canyon of the Wasatch Mountains both the red waxy tips of the wings and the yellow tips of the tail can be seen.

I happened upon this waxwing and the one in the image below because I pulled up next to a stand of hawthorns to eat an apple I had brought for breakfast. I had only taken a few bites of my apple when I heard the calls of waxwings in the hawthorn.

Cedar Waxwing close up in a blooming Hawthorn – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC,  natural light

I put my apple down and spent the next forty-two minutes photographing the small flock of Cedar Waxwings as they ate the delicate petals of the hawthorn blossoms. By the time I stopped photographing the waxwings my apple had begun to turn brown, but it was worth it.

Taking the time to photograph Cedar Waxwings is always a pleasure.

By the way, on the 12th of January it was announced that the Cedar Waxwing is the American Birding Association’s Bird of the Year for 2020, a wonderful choice in my opinion.

Life is good. Birds make it even more joyful.

Mia