Quote:
Originally Posted by magpie
Hi stargazer is it those tiny red bits on top of the wing that give them their name. ?
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Yes, they look as if they have been dipped in sealing wax and I assume that's where the name comes from.
Perhaps I should explain the photo. Waxwings eat berries for as long as berries are available. Of course the berries have been produced by the parent plant in late summer or early autumn, so by the middle of winter most will be so far past their best as to be fermenting. The birds will strip a bush or tree and in the process they end up pretty drunk, often to the point where they are temporarily incapable of flight. If you see a flock of Waxwings and one or more makes a crash-landing, you can safely assume he's pissed!
They actually have the most efficient livers known as they can go from being unable to fly to stone cold sober in little more than five minutes. This one was picked up for his short hangover because it was in an urban environment and there were cats around. It rejoined its flock without any problems.
24-01-12, 10:42 PM
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