We have some killer conservation vibes going in this thread! Thoreau, Whittier and Muir and smiling somewhere.
Teehjaeh,
Cedar waxwing are among the most beautiful of birds, but you don't want them to visit your fruit trees. They nip off the blooms, and carry plant disease.
My biggest birding thrill was a pair of night hawks (in the nightjar/whipporwill family). Every day at about dark, the male would climb and dive, making a loud, eerie booming sound with his fluttering wings. That's to impress lady nighthawks and scare off rival males. I found their nest on bare ground, and had to be careful not to run over it with the dozer.
