Cover image: Cedar Waxwing in a tree next to the Salt Marsh. Inwood Hill Park. June 3, 2023.
Whenever I encounter Cedar Waxwings, and they generally travel in groups, they seem to arrive from outer space. They are all beautiful and mysterious, thanks to those masks. Their arrival is unpredictable, appearing out of the blue, except for some expectations that many fly through New York in early June on their way to Canada. While I have come to learn on good authority that some have been seen recently settling down and raising a family nearby (in Fort Tryon Park, for example, just to the south of here) like regular earthlings, I still find them otherworldly.
Yes, I know they are native to North America, enjoy fruit, and are named for the waxy secretions at the tips of the secondary feathers. So, yes, a part of me understands that they are somehow a real part of the bird world of this section of the planet. But they possess their own aura. Have you ever heard a flock of Cedar Waxwings arrive en masse to a mulberry tree? Imagine the sound of tuning the dial on an old radio to find a station and hearing only high-pitch static. (I played the sound for my resting cat just now, and he hastily made his way to the computer speaker.)
I remember the date and time I was totally captivated by Cedar Waxwings, although I had seen them before here and there. (Years ago while living in a southern state, I happened upon a large flock of intoxicated Cedar Waxwings and was shocked at the spectacle.) It was March 6, 2022 at around 7:22 a.m. I was walking on the trail that rounds the eastern hill of Inwood Hill Park, the path that leads to the left of the fork behind the dog run. Near the railed section that tends to flood after a rain, I heard their “frequency.” Looking up, I saw of couple of Cedar Waxwings on a branch overhead.
The rest of the flock soon arrived and swooped quickly over to the glacial rocks on the north side of the hill. They looked sensational in their pale pastels, staying in the spot for about ten minutes. The next day, I walked over to the same place, and they arrived at the same time. And then the next day, they were there again. I have pictures. By the fourth day, they were gone.
In early March of this year, I made it a point to look for the waxwings at that same place and time. I didn’t hear or see them that month, but it’s a lesson of bird watching that others could have seen them. Birding can often involve a fear of missing out, especially for favorite birds.
I know now, though, that they are unpredictable. Don’t set a fixed date with a Cedar Waxwing.
On June 3 of this year, while on my usual morning rounds, I came upon a flock of birds in a tree next to the Salt Marsh. I immediately knew they were Cedar Waxwings.
Studies of Cedar Waxwings show that they often vary their migration patterns. For this year, I have a question -If many flock to southern Canada for their breeding grounds, then what impact would the current wildfires there have on their migration? (The potential impacts of wildfires are the topic of several ongoing studies.) When they do begin their southern journey for winter, often around August, they may take months to get to their destination. Sometimes, they do not migrate at all. All I know is that I saw them in the spring of 2022 and early June of this year. I don’t know if they were coming or going or maybe just staying here. I felt lucky just to see them. I don’t know when I will see them again.
On this day, they had perched in a Japanese Pagoda tree right outside my apartment window in Inwood.
Recent posts
- An Evening Walk with a Great Egret, and Spring Migration Report
On an early evening walk on May 11, I came across a Great Egret foraging near high tide at the Salt Marsh in Inwood Hill Park. I usually take my walks in the early morning, and the egret usually forages near times of low tide, so this was new for both of us. The Great… Read more: An Evening Walk with a Great Egret, and Spring Migration Report - Birds on the Forest Floor: Ovenbird and Veery
During spring migration season in an old-growth forest like Inwood Hill Park, be sure to look for birds wandering along the park paths or in the dense foliage near the ground. While we are often straining our necks looking for warblers and other small songbirds in the high canopy, some warblers like the Ovenbird or… Read more: Birds on the Forest Floor: Ovenbird and Veery - A Flurry of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Flickers Flickering, and a Great Egret Returns
Today, April 22, 2026, is Earth Day, a time to learn more about and advocate for the health of our home planet. The birds depend on us. A great thing about being out in nature in the morning is that a memorable morning with birds can last all day. Whatever I’m doing, whatever happens during… Read more: A Flurry of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Flickers Flickering, and a Great Egret Returns - The Kinglets of the Forest, with More Stories and Tech-Related Mishaps in the Age of Digital Birding
So tiny and fast. They were kinglets, and I saw both kinds this week in the forested areas of Inwood Hill Park. Kinglets are either golden-crowned or ruby-crowned, fast-moving, and constantly in search of insects. They may be distinguished by the color of their crowns and the coloring around the eyes. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet features… Read more: The Kinglets of the Forest, with More Stories and Tech-Related Mishaps in the Age of Digital Birding - Northern Mockingbird – The Bossiest Singer in the Park
Northern Mockingbirds are famous for their expressive and varied songs, often mimicking other birds. All this month, whenever I have had occasion to walk in Inwood Hill Park or Sherman Creek Park, I’ve come across a loud mockingbird singing its heart out.
Birds of Inwood 
Comments welcome!