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hello all, new here!

just saw the sweetest little birds out in my bushes this morning. i have never seen them in my area before so i know they're migratory... i live in south easter Wyoming.

it was a whole flock of them and they were very gregarious. didn't seem to mind me looking at them at all! they were about the size of a sparrow, but very elegant and sleek. an almost tawny/rosy colored head with a slight crest at the very back of the head almost like that of a jay or a wax wing, with a very small narrow black beak. very small bright black eyes and a delicate black mask that joined the black of the beak. the body was a fawn grey with the wing tips and tail a darker gray. but here's the kicker. they had a very light lime green colored belly and a brilliant yellow spot on the ends of their tails! with such plumage, i figure they're in their mating attire, and most probably this flock contained nearly all male birds.

i have searched the web but have not found anything NEAR what i saw. can anyone help me?? they really look like something that would be more at home back East in New Hampshire or maybe up North in Oregon. i don't know! any info would be appreciated.

thanks.

Possibly a bohemian waxwing?

rdatkins:

Possibly a bohemian waxwing?

I would say Cedar Waxwings as Bohemian should not be in Wyoming at this time of year.

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2008 Yard List: 125
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Highlights: Cackling Goose, Black Vulture, Merlin

You're right.  Cedar would be much more likely.  My reasoning for thinking Bohemian was really flawed.   

I vote for Cedar Waxwing.

thank you all for your quick responses, but they weren't waxwings. have seen those in the area from time to time, so i know what those look like. these darlings were very small and elegant, though the coloring was similar.... this is mighty confusing! have looked up every bird and every description i can and nothing has come up....

Try looking up Common Yellowthroat...description seems to fit and they like brushy vegetation

Perfect description of Cedar Waxwings.  Perhaps some minor color artifacts (greenish belly) due to light or perception, but dead on for waxwings right down to the yellow tips to the tail. 

Light shining through leaves casts a green hue on any bird.  

 

 

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Joseph Morlan
Fall Birding Classes in San Francisco start October 28

I also agree with Cedar Waxwing.
 

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~DieHardOwlFan~

I would also agree with Cedar Waxwing, the description fits

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The photo shown is Barnie. My faithful and loving companion of 18 years, who passed into the next life on 11-8-2008. God rest her soul! She's missed!

the Common Yellowthroat is definitely not what i saw, though i sure would love to!

and you all could be right about the Waxwing being the correct bird, but these sure were little ones if they were! i'm not having any luck finding anything else even close besides that, so i guess unless i find something else, i'll assume mystery solved... kind of.

Waxwings are relatively small birds....

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123

well!

i feel the proper idiot.

for some reason i had the impression from the last time i saw them that they were the size of at least a robin.

guess not.

for this morning they are back in my bushes, eating the blossoms and several mature adults are with them this time. larger, not so pink, and yes, with the tell tale waxy red spot on the wing.

*whew* i thought i was going to go nuts.

evidently what i had seen before was a small group of juviniles. they were much smaller then the ones i saw today and no red! hence my confusion....

*wanders back to the window*