Waxwings, finally

Been checking the rowan by the car park for about a week now, out of habit more than expectation — you hear about a irruption year on the forums and then spend a fortnight staring at berries that nothing wants. Eight of them this morning, stripping the tree with that odd, unhurried greed waxwings have. Like they know nobody's going to bother them for it.

Stood there longer than I meant to, which made me late for absolutely nothing important, so no complaints. There's something about the crest and that wax-red flash on the wing that still gets me every single year, even though I've now seen them enough winters running that it probably shouldn't.

A woman walking her dog stopped to ask what I was looking at and seemed genuinely delighted by the answer, which doesn't happen often. Told her they'd probably be gone within the week once the berries ran out. She said she'd come back tomorrow anyway. Good policy.