Cedar Waxwing, a nomadic species found throughout Minnesota, has never been a bird I see routinely. There has not been a place where I could expect to see them. This year, however, I am seeing them almost daily in the breeding bird atlas territory I am surveying. They’re in willows, along edges, flying overhead. Perhaps I’ve just become more aware. This is a bird with an expanding population, which also helps. They breed here and there, returning to former breeding sites less frequently than other songbird species. I was fortunate the other day to watch a waxwing gather nesting material and carry it to a nearby tree. Try as I did, I couldn’t see the nest under construction from my viewpoint about 60 feet away. The bird was taking the fuzz from the flower of a cattail. It can take up to 2,500 trips over five to six days to collect the fibers needed to create the nest.   

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