Thought all poltical comment was forbidden on Vtbird. Did I miss
the email changing this policy? Lawrence Rawls
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dana Rohleder" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 5:07 PM
Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] Help with Redpoll ID, please
> Paula,
>
> Sounds like a Hoary Redpoll.
>
> Dana C. Rohleder
> Port Kent, NY
>
> "I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving.
I
> rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read
the
> news themselves." G.W. Bush - Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paula Gills" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 12:37 PM
> Subject: [VTBIRD] Help with Redpoll ID, please
>
>
> > Yesterday morning, I had a small flock (9) of Repolls close to the
> > house under a birch tree eating catkin seeds from the ground. They
> > were all uniformly streaky brown, and I noticed nothing unusual about
> > them, but decided to check for Tree Sparrows, too. When I got my
> > glasses and went to the back door, I immediately noticed a bird by
> > itself in the birch tree w/o using my bins--at first because of the
> > size and whiteness at a cursory glance I thought it might be a
> > chickadee, but the color was not flat. The bird was facing me, and it
> > looked as though it had rime ice on it. I then realized when I saw a
> > small red cap that it was a redpoll. As I continued to observe the
> > bird off and on for several hours, I noted the following:
> >
> > Very light pink wash on sides of breast, otherwise strikingly white
> > breast with shimmering quality
> > Greyish-white mantle with some dark mottling/streaking
> > Greater coverts rounded and distinctly white
> > Red cap smallish with fairly distinct white boundaries
> > Flattish face, very "pointy and sharp" look to the bill, bill evenly
> > straight top and bottom
> > Undertail coverts at first looked completely white, but on later
> > observation saw one short vertical streak
> > Like a Yellow-Rumped warbler has the distinct yellow rump, this bird's
> > rump was distinctly white
> > On second and third observations, I saw a pink spot on the rump
> > On the fourth observation, light pinkish coloration was evident farther
> > down on the rump
> > It had some light streaking on the side
> > It had a "plump" appearance, was larger than the others, stockier
> >
> > Behaviorally, it was never part of the small flock of other Redpolls
> > that all looked clearly to be Commons. It fed alone from the thistle
> > feeder at one point, and at two other points was off by itsef feeding
> > on the catkins left on the birch. One other observation was in the
> > thicket in a cellar hole in the yard. At no point did it join the
> > other Redpolls on the ground.
> >
> > This bird was not like any other Redpoll I have ever observed.
> >
> > Any opinions out there?
> >
> > Also, had a Northern Goshawk streak through my back field late this
> > morning.
> >
> > Paula Gills
> > Brookfield/Northfield
> >
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