On this Sunday morning the Bohemian waxwings—known in Finnish as Tilhil (pluralis: Tilhet) —were gathering in a rowanberry orchard at a street junction near the suburb of Keltinmäki in Jyväskylä.
About the Waxwings:
The sporadic, mysterious appearance of waxwing flocks in Central Europe was historically regarded as an ill omen—especially during the Middle Ages. This belief even gave rise to the Dutch name Pestvogel (plague bird), which is still in use today. In my opinion, this is an reputation is not fair; these splendidly colored birds, with their gentle voices, are simply busy foraging for rowanberries. In contrast, the terms Bohemicum and Bohemian hark back to the old notion that the people of Bohemia were particularly prone to vagrancy and exhibited an artistically colorful, sometimes rather boisterous, demeanor. The word “waxwing” refers to the streaked or droplet-like tips of some of their primary feathers, which appear as if splashed with red wax.
Making off:
Date taken: February 15th 2025, Place: Keltinmäki, Jyväskylä, Central Finland, ca. 10am. I used a Sony RX10 M4 with a 600 mm lens, a shutter speed of 1/3000 s, an aperture of f/7.1, and ISO 1000. The tilhet (waxwings) had gathered in a large swarm on a tall spruce, from which smaller flocks descended toward the rowanberry trees. I was hidden in a narrow street tunnel, and the angle of the sun was perfect for capturing the vivid colors of these beautiful birds. With an outside temperature of -19°C, I had to choose between taking more photos or keeping my hands warm by tucking them deeper into my gloves.
References:
Michael Emmerich 