Waxed Wing Birds

I was walking in front of Belknap when I noticed a ruffling in a tree. It wasn't a very tall tree and the ruffling was about head height. As soon as I was within five feet of the tree all the birds scrambled out and nearly almost hit me. I wasn't sure if they were the waxed wing birds that we talked about in class but they looked the same and seemed to have the same flight techniques. Once I passed the tree I realized that there was still some scurrying going on. I couldn't see what was making the commotion but my guess was it was either one bird trying to get out of the tree or it was two birds playing around. It is amazing how fast these birds can fly and change direction. I also have probably never seen on of these birds on their own. Are these a type of bird that likes to have company or do they need to stay together for survival purposes?