Mariton: What could cap Cedar Waxwings and Bluebirds?

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager.  Photos by Carole Mebus.

We had an unbelievable day for our last October Walk. The sky was cobalt, and the hickory trees were bright yellow.  At the very beginning of the walk we saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings.  We have been watching the grapes and other berries on all of the October Walks, finally today that seemed to be the place to look for birds.  During the morning, we saw several flocks of Cedar Waxwings taking advantage of Wild Grapes and Virginia Creeper berries.

There were lots of trees to appreciate and things to see on the walk. When we reached the fields we were treated to a family of Eastern Bluebirds that were hanging around one of the nest boxes and the berries.  This isn’t nesting season, so I think the interest in the nest box was mostly for future reference for shelter from a winter storm.  I’ve watched bluebirds flying in and out of boxes before storms, and have also found their feathers in boxes at the end of winter.

Immature Bald Eagle over Mariton

So what could cap a wonderful October Walk filled with Cedar Waxwings, Bluebirds, and unbelievable color? How about Bald Eagles?  Jim spotted a mature Eagle streaking across the sky on some wind current.  Not everyone saw it, but a few minutes later two more soared by on the same airstream. Carole got a great photo of this immature Bald Eagle.  We waited a few more minutes and saw another mature Bald Eagle glide across the sky.