The waxwings seem much more common this year. I think the crop of Pacific Madrone berries is greater than usual. On the Vashon CBC on January 1, Pete Murray and I ran into a feeding frenzy involving scores of robins, with many waxwings, Band-tailed Pigeons, starlings and other birds either directly eating the berries or foraging on other food in the flocking area. In the early fall, the evergreen huckleberry crop was bigger than usual, attracting many more Hermit Thrush than normally are seen. On the other hand, I haven't heard a Red Crossbill in a couple of months, the longest I haven't seen or heard them since I moved to Vashon.

Ed Swan
Vashon Island