As usual, that don't read right. They left yesterday midday, but are back working hard today. We have two different types of holly trees side-by-side. They strip one and ignore the same looking berries on the other. Bees both bumble and honey have been very busy lately around the other one, but not the one the waxwings like.

The birds are now about half done with the tree, going top to bottom.

I hope you saw a multitude of honey bees. I do an informal count as I mow my grass . . err . . weeds and the census is getting alarmingly low.

Every time I see one I have the dark humor thought that it might be the last honeybee on the planet. I don't know the latest on the problem worldwide (afraid to look), but local beekeeping seems to be proliferating. It's one hobby I might want to take up someday.

There was an interesting story on NPR a few weeks ago how California's gigantic almond industry depends on some place in the midwest for honeybee populations to sustain nut production because the bees migrate to that region in summer. Things like rough transport, sprawl, chemicals, and climate change are hurting these populations. It actually gives me hope that a large dependent economy may force addressing this issue better than government and politics can. (Which is sad for the ability of government to identify and address risks to society. Republicans just want to protect us from sins of their choosing and people not like them.)

At this point the white nose syndrome with bats may be at least as much to worry about, especially now that the disease has been discovered in the smokies.

I can never see them without thinking of my grandfather, who always called them "Japanese Raccoon birds" b/c of their mask and their affinity for his Japanese holly. I didn't know their real name until I was in my teens. Still think of them as Japanese Raccoon birds.

I'm thinking the one they like is an American Holly. Pic:

The one the birds don't like has kind of chevron-y shaped leaves with just one thorn at the end:

The birds got lazy midday. Guess they got full and will be back tomorrow.

A huge flock of Cedar Waxwings visited a house in the neighborhood. They were perching in two maples and several of those tall, thin evergreens (e.g. Leyland Cypress ??).

My cell phone pictures aren't so great. Need to start bringing a real camera with me on my walks.

Cool. That's about as good as I can do with a "real" camera. I noticed yesterday there are still berries on our tree. This morning the birds are back in force, though.

The first Holly is probably a Nellie R Stevens. I encountered an american holly in the wild yeasterday and it was duller and had more small spines.

The second is definitely a Burford holly.

You know what they say, the best camera in the world is the one you happen to have with you.

OK, then. Thanks for the IDs.