#redpolls

Photo: Ott Rebane

"One of the 'winter finches,' nesting in the Arctic and sometimes invading southern Canada and the northern states. Redpolls are tiny, restless birds, feeding actively on seeds among trees and weeds, fluttering and climbing about acrobatically, their flocks seemingly always on the move. For their small size, they have a remarkable ability to survive cold temperatures; their southward flights are sparked by temporary scarcity of food in the North, not by cold. At bird feeders in winter, redpolls are often remarkably tame."

Finches and Redpolls. Ferdinand von Wright (1822-1906)

turned out to be a very cooperative little bird, checking out the camera feeders after he took at sip at the bird bath. Someone asked yesterday how to tell House Finches and Redpolls apart, and maybe these photos help a bit. Note that they are smaller than House Finches as well. And they seem to have a temperament similar to that of the Pine Siskins and Goldfinches.

[image ID: photo of a white-tailed sea eagle flying against a grey sky. end ID]

saw 1 of the eagles again flying beside the main road! a buzzard tailed her for a short while

[image ID: photo of a common redpoll - a brown bird with a red forehead. end ID]