A quick glance out the window this morning revealed a large flock of Cedar Waxwings circling above our front yard. In one accord, the entire group landed in the branches of two crabapple trees in our garden, settling merrily into a feast of tiny crabapples. For a minute or two, they dined vigorously, snapping the apples from the branches, until something -- a noise, perhaps?-- startled the entire flock and they hastily sped away, disappearing into the grey horizon of the November morning. It was nothing more than a momentary stop in their seasonal migration; a moment to rest weary wings and refresh hungry bodies before continuing on with their day of travel. If we hadn't happened to peek out the window at that precise moment, we might have missed them entirely. As it was, they were gone so swiftly that we couldn't even snap a photo...
The Cedar Waxwing birds have not been the only ones interested in the tiny crabapples on our trees. During the first blizzard of the season a couple of days ago, Dan photographed a very daring chipmunk who spent a delighted half-hour devouring the delicious fruit. These pictures speak for themselves--look closely at his very full cheeks, his tiny paws grasping the apples, the snow accumulating on his head and back, and his feet clinging tightly to the branches.