Shopping for fruit

Sometimes I like grocery shopping, but other times it can feel a bit like a chore, something I have to do rather than want to do.  But it helps when there are interesting things to look at outside of the stores.  At this time of year, many of the trees in the parking lots have fruits that attract birds.

Recently, the trees near the Fiesta Market in Sebastopol have been very active.  It's been fun to look up and see these species in between errands:

 

Female Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana).  Do you think she's perched in a crabapple?  

There were male bluebirds nearby, too (see next image).

 

Then I followed a very high-pitched call and found these birds sitting high in a bare-branched tree:

 

Here's a closer view of a Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum):

 

And one from behind that highlights the lemon yellow tail band and the crimson red tips on the wing feathers for which the species is named.

 

Although I had to dodge some cars in the parking lot to get these bird pictures, it was nice to have a little natural history mixed into my chores last weekend.  And in this case, we were all "shopping" for fruit!