Around 20 years ago when I planted a row of Bradford pear trees in front of my house, I thought I liked them. Now I’m thinking of replacing them, even though I still like them – occasionally. Those occasions are the 2 days in the spring while they bloom (OK, maybe it’s 3 days,) the week or so in the fall while they turn a beautiful red/purple/orange before dropping their leaves, and finally whenever the Cedar Waxwings show up to eat the berries. I still want to replace the trees, but it will have to be with something (native) that will continue to feed the Cedar Waxwings (wonder about Serviceberry.) This fall the arrival of these lovely birds coincided with the fall color of the leaves – reducing my time of appreciation for my Bradford pear trees. (Click on the photos for a larger view.)
Cedar Waxwing takes a Bradford pear berry
Cedar Waxwing – Bombycilla cedrorum – in Bradford Pear Tree
They are some of my favorite birds. I get so excited to see them come visit! Lovely pictures.:)
Thank you, Janet. We love these birds, too.
It’s May 9 and I was excited to see a flock of Cedar Waxwings in my Bradford Pear Tree early this morning. I just wondered why they pick at the blossoms that are out right now. Is there a little seed in the individual blossoms? This is the first time that I remember seeing the waxwings in the tree.
Interesting, Maryann. From AllAboutBirds: “…Cedar Waxwings supplement their fruit diet with protein-rich insects including mayflies, dragonflies, and stoneflies, often caught on the wing. They also pick items such as scale insects, spruce budworm, and leaf beetles directly from vegetation.” Maybe they were picking insects off the flowers.