Bigby Surprise – Common Redpolls

Northern Cardinal - Jamie Van Acker

I was thrilled to add a most unexpected yard and BGBY bird to my list for the year in the shape of a flock of Common Redpolls. I had popped outside to digiscope a Red-shouldered hawk that was loafing around the yard and managed to spot a flock of finches fly in. To my surprise they turned out to be a little flock of Common Redpolls. Bigby year bird 38 and yard list bird 106.

There haven’t been many Redpoll reports this year thus far in Connecticut but I was mentioning to people last weekend that they are creeping ever closer to us, still I was surprised to find the flock here. So far the birches in the yard have made up for the lack of filled Nyjer feeder but today I popped out to get some seed to fill her up. Of course the little buggers didn’t linger long enough to get there photo taken, ditto the camera shy Sapsucker that flew across the yard.

As I don’t have a picture of the Redpolls, I thought I’d post this picture taken by my friend Jamie Van Acker. I think this partially leucistic Cardinal looks kind of cool.

BGBY List – 38 Species (highlights in bold):

Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Coopers Hawk, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, COMMON REDPOLL, House Sparrow.