Bird Watching

Last night I spotted a bird right outside our front window. At first I thought it was a Mourning Dove, but as Josiah and I looked closer, it resembled a female Cardinal more than a Mourning Dove, and then, as it perched on the tree, we were able to get a good look at it, and noticed it had a mask. We took note of its other distinct features {red wing tips and yellow tale tip}, and then did our best to look up the mystery bird.

The website WhatBird.com turned out to be a great resource. We were able to narrow our bird down first by location, then size, shape, beak type, color, and other variables, and soon we had a list of only 17 birds. While clicking through the available options, we actually found our culprit: the Cedar Waxwing.

{Now, if only I'd gotten a photo of our actual bird!}

Also, Josiah thinks I need a bird feeder because I'm always watching the birds out of our windows. However, I argue that I don't need a bird feeder when I can just watch the birds in the trees {not to mention, I think we have enough squirrels}. Maybe I seem silly for being so excited, but it was so neat to see a bird we'd never seen before, and then to be able to figure out what kind of bird it was. I am now on the lookout for more.

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