Beautiful Masked Bandit!

This gallery contains 3 photos. In the two years since I first spotted one, this is the closest I’ve gotten to a Cedar Waxwing, and its expression is just priceless … somewhere between a question mark and “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Really, I never expected my wildlife subjects to be so cynical. 🙂 Photographed on August 28.

maybe it was actually saying “take that photo before I change my mind about posing for you”
f/6.3, 1/800, 150-500mm telephoto lens, 500mm, ISO 1000 

With wild blackberries ripening in Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area, we are seeing these beautiful masked birds in greater numbers (being very social birds, they are hardly “Lone Rangers”). I saw no fewer than six snacking in the bushes in the course of just a few minutes. These fruit eaters seemed to be more audacious, too — not the least concerned with the quartet of walkers in deep conversation to their right, nor the hordes of golfers to their left.

the quintessential Cedar Waxwing pose (minus the waxy red berry in its mouth)
f/6.3, 1/800, 150-500mm telephoto lens, 500mm, ISO 800 

That was one trusting bird to turn its back to me (must be part hummingbird). This also gave me a good look at its red wax droplets and yellow tailtips, and confirmed that this was not the rare and chunkier Bohemian Waxwing. With the cotoneaster and pyracantha berries ripening on the bushes by the front of the house, hopefully we’ll see even more of these beauties in the fall.

we are so done with this photo shoot! now leave me to my berries.
f/6.3, 1/800, 150-500mm telephoto lens, 500mm, ISO 800

See more examples of this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: From Every Angle.

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