Birds and berries

Went to the public library this morning and picked up five books and a CD, then on the way back I decided to stop and take pictures of the canal, since it's my vacation and I can think like that when I'm on vacation. The canal is actually Amazon Creek, all walled in to channel its passage through residential neighborhoods. Some of the streets have views that are rather picturesque in the spring, with climbing roses. After taking a few pictures, I was walking back to the car and stopped to try to identify the very noisy flock of birds in an odd-shaped cottonwood; I decided they might be cedar waxwings, large flocks of which used to frequent our elm tree in Oakland in the early spring. These birds were very interested in the hawthorn tree below the cottonwood, which was chock full of red berries, and some blackberries on the opposite bank of the canal. When a scrub jay landed on the hawthorn, though, all the smaller birds instantly fell silent. I wonder why; it's not like blue jays are predators.

Amazon Creek from Olive Street:


Fall color on Olive Street near the old library: