Some migrating visitors were lighting things up last fall at the Newport (R.I.) Wastewater Treatment Facility. Erik Drukovskis, chief operator, snapped this and other photos of cedar waxwings that visit the plant property, including the chlorine contact chamber.

“I believe the name comes from the red tips on their wings or the yellow tips on their tails, which make it look like they’ve been dipped in wax,” says Drukovskis, a United Water professional. “The color of the tail will be either yellow or orange based on what they eat. Their diet consists of cedar cones and fruit — and insects, which is what brings them to Newport.

“We have a few chokecherry trees, but they also love the uncovered, open-air chlorine contact chamber. Insects fly above the chamber, and the cedar waxwings fly around and eat them up. Their flight pattern is similar to that of bluejays in that they seem to dart around, changing direction to catch the next insect in their bills. They’re fascinating to watch, and if you stand still they’ll fly within a few feet of you.”