Thursday, February 19, 2015

February 23


On the knoll that fronts the entry field to Anna Maria College, I stopped to watch a small group of Cedar Wax Wings flitting among the small copse of crab apple trees that sit alone at the summit. The now sere fruit still dangles in profusion from the bare branches, small apples that are no more than ¼” in diameter and slightly shriveled. No matter, for the birds devoured them readily, with reckless gluttony.

They seemed completely at ease with my standing just under the branches of one of the trees, while they hopped about putting apples into their mouths in astonishing succession. Striking birds that remind me of masked bandits, similar in a way that chick-a-dees do. With their curious nature though, chick-a-dees resemblance is overshadowed by their friendly demeanor. The wax wings are aloof enough to better assume the bandit persona.

And suddenly as one, the small flock rose quickly into the air and was gone.

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