Washington Ornitholgical Society - Field Note - Bohemian Waxwing

Here are the field marks that I used for identification:

Crown: The crown was rusty red slightly dark orange with protrustion of feather at the head. No white markings.
Head: rusty red dark orange small black no white markings
Breast sides: orange/red at right and left, middle grey
Wing tips: tri-color red white and black at wing tips the remainder grey

I believe he was eating a Indian plum berry, and he had flown down from rose bramble (I was within 10 feet and less) to just below me on the ground where there is an Oregon grape. The Oregon Grape fruit is dried yellow/brown. I thought he had an Oregon grape berry, but after seeing the Oregon Grape fruit I know he had a fresh green Indian Plum berry. The Oregon Grapes are all brown/yellow. He landed in three spots. He was spotted at first in the upper wild rose bramble and he flew to a very small Oregon Grape at the base of a stump on the ground. He then flew to a higher branch of an Indian Plum where he flew off where he came from behind the rose bramble to the North East.

I was crouched into the shady side of the rose bramble as it was 9:30AM- 10:30AM in the morning and the sun was behind the bramble creating shade. The Oregon Grape was in full sunlight and the Indian Plum was partly shaded and the bird was in good sight for the entire time.

The duration of the observation: 1 minute and 1/2 or less.

Distance: 10 feet at the most and less as close as under 5 feet. (I don’t think he saw me until he landed in the Indian Plum, the farthest from me 10feet.)

Optics: None. I was using my 20/20 vision

Photo: No photograph

Experience: Have not identified this bird previously, but have seen this bird at this location at least once before last year not knowing his species type.

Mostly why this bird was NOT a CEDAR WAXWING.

This was a singular sighting ie. he/she was traveling alone and not with an apparent group.
It is said that Cedar Waxwing’s travel in large groups.
The bird had no white marks on his head.
The bird was mostly grey overall, except for his breast sides ( slightly orange) , head (dark red) and wing tips (very bright red, white and black) .

I regret that did not record the weather yesterday morning with this sighting, but at the time it was a typical sunny, although chilly, breezy Yelm Mother’s Day!