January 29 - Masked Birds
Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

Those high-pitched whistles are a sure sign that cedar waxwings are nearby. If birds were judged on their appearance, then waxwings would be classified as refined with a bit of mystery. They have a combination of silky brown, gray and yellow feathers accented with a small crest, a black facial mask and what looks like drops of red candle wax on each wing. There is a yellow band at the tip of their tails. Cedar waxwings are fruit eaters. Winter flocks descend on cedars, mountain ash, hawthorns and other trees and shrubs that offer a fruity buffet. After eating their fill, a flock of waxwings will often fly to a nearby tree and perch for a while, digesting their meal. After a bit, the flock is on the move again, off to find its next meal.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.