Common Redpoll

In the early afternoon on 31 January 2016, I decided to go for a drive east of the city. The weather was getting sunny and I needed to get out for a while. Recently, I have had to replace several kitchen appliances and can't believe the hassle this has created. I automatically expect something new to work perfectly and forget that this isn't necessarily going to happen.

A large flock of these gorgeous little Common Redpolls took my mind off the shoddy quality of new gadgets : ) This photo shows a little female, perched on a fence post for just long enough to get this one, quick shot. The sun was shining on the bright red dot on her forehead.

"As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks."

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id

I also checked on the Short-eared Owls when I was driving out east. Could only find a distant one, tucked away in the trees. Bumped into a friend out there, who said he had just been to see a Northern Hawk Owl because he had more or less given up on these Short-eared Owls. Said the last few times he had been there, the owls weren't around much. I'm hoping that the number of cars and birders/photographers hasn't pushed the owls to move on.