Invasion of the Redpolls

I was about to take my dog out for a walk yesterday morning, when I decided to first check on the bird feeder on my deck -- and WHOA! Instead of the usual one or two chickadees and occasional white-breasted nuthatch,  a cloud of small birds competing for a perch was swirling around the tube feeder, and another flock was perched on the picnic table in the corner of the deck where I had spread out sunflower seeds. My first thought was Pine Siskins but then realized they were Common Redpolls with some Goldfinches mixed in.

I grabbed my camera and snuck out on the porch. I managed to get some photos through the window, but the camera setting was wrong and all shots came out dark and muddy. To do it properly I had to open the door to get a clear view. Of course when doing this the entire flock swirled up and up into the top of the oak tree nearby, and then gone altogether.  I expected them back though, couldn't imagine they would abandon such a rich food source. So I posted myself half hidden near the porch door with my camera on the ready, and sure enough the flock returned about five minutes later.

 

When the sun hits it just right the crown on these females turns a fiery orange red.

The red breast on this bird dignifies it's a male. Looking through my photos I realized most of the birds were probably females or immatures 

Some Redpolls, along with a couple of House Finches, were waiting their turn on the crab apple tree by the deck.
 

The House Finches kept a back seat on the tree until the Redpolls and Goldfinches had departed.  Above is a Redpoll, probably immature to judge by the absence of the black bib,  with a House Finch behind it. 

The flock of Redpolls was back and forth for about 30 min, intermittently taking off for no good reason that I could see, and finally left altogether. I didn't see any Hoary Redpolls.* Although Redpolls are the most common passerines in the northern tundra and boreal forest, there is little overlap with humans except during the winter. Over the past week I have seen numerous reports from all over New England of Redpolls turning up at the feeders. An irruption of Redpolls from northern Canada had been forecast in the fall:

Ron Pittaway's Winter Finch Forecast 2010-2011 published on eBird.org :
 "Redpolls in winter are a birch seed specialist and movements are linked in part to the size of the birch crop. The white birch crop is poor across much of northern Canada. Another indicator of an upcoming irruption was a good redpoll breeding season in 2010 with double and possibly triple broods reported in Quebec. High breeding success also was reported in Yukon. Samuel Denault of McGill University has shown that redpoll movements at Tadoussac, Quebec, are more related to reproductive success than to tree seed crops in the boreal forest. Redpolls will be attracted to the good birch seed crops on native white birch and European white birch in southern Ontario and to weedy fields. They should be frequent this winter at feeders offering nyger and black oil sunflower seeds. Watch for the larger, darker and browner "Greater" Common Redpolls (rostrata subspecies) in the flocks. It is reliably identified by its larger size and proportionally longer thicker bill and longer tail in direct comparison with "Southern" Common Redpolls (nominate flammea subspecies)."


For the Great Backyard Bird Count currently taking place over four days I counted 7 species:
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Black-capped Chickadee - 5
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Northern Cardinal - 1
House Finch - 4
Common Redpoll - 20
American Goldfinch - 12

Good Birding!

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment.

* For a good discussion on the distinction between Common and Hoary Redpolls see David Sibley's  blog.


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