I was walking around the neighborhood and I noticed scores of birds buzzing in and out of a large loquat tree. Loquats are a small orange fruit about the size of a large olive with big seeds in the middle. One site said this about food uses of the loquat:
"The skin of the loquat is easily removed. Peeled and seeded fruits are eaten fresh, sometimes combined with sliced banana, orange sections and grated coconut. They are delicious simply stewed with a little sugar added. The fruits are also used in gelatin desserts or as pie-filling, or are chopped and cooked as a sauce. Loquats canned in syrup are exported from Taiwan. Some people prepare spiced loquats (with cloves, cinnamon, lemon and vinegar) in glass jars. The fruit is also made into jam and, when slightly underripe, has enough pectin to make jelly. The jelly was formerly manufactured commercially in California on a small scale."
I ran home and grabbed my camera and grabbed some images of the frisky birds which I identified as Cedar Waxwings. I have been interested in birds all my life, but only in the last few years have I gotten serious about bird identification. This is the first time I've ever spotted a Cedar Waxwing and to see a new species in my own backyard is exciting. I think it's all about awareness. I'm sure this isn't the first time I've been in proximity of this wonderful songbird, but it the first time I've been aware of it. Once you open your eyes to something, even if its been in front of you your entire life, a whole new world opens up for you.
