Greetings Bob and Maeve,
Bob, thanks for drawing my attention to "First Year Male" plumage.   From 
what I now observe and from the recordings I have heard my strong  
inclination is to go with "First Year Male Red Crossbill". [Thanks also Maeve  for the 
bird song link.]
As a single record it means little but if other sightings are forthcoming  
it will stand!
Thanks also for responding both of you.
Cheers,
Roy 
The Gables at East Mountain, Rutland,  Vermont

Speaking the same language.  

Red Crossbills have been showing up in many states recently, including  
Wisconsin, Ohio and even central California. It's confounding people because it 
 doesn't seem like a winter irruption. Also, the many different subspecies 
have  many different sounds. You can find a wide variety of songs and flight 
notes by  going to www.xeno-canto.org and typing Red Crossbill in the 
search box. Many of  the songs are definitely sweet!  

Maeve Kim
Jericho  Center




In a message dated 9/25/2012 8:39:00 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Check p.  530 of Sibley for plumage of 1st year male.

Bob Yunick
Schenectady,  NY


-----Original Message-----
From: Roy Pilcher  <[log in to unmask]>
To: VTBIRD <[log in to unmask]>
Sent:  Mon, Sep 24, 2012 8:50 pm
Subject: [VTBIRD] Red-crossbill?


If  female red crossbills do not sing then this tentative ID does not get   
out of the starting blocks!  
I was drawn to this bird by its song  while it was perched on a snag with  
the morning sun coming from  behind it at about 45 degrees.  The squat 
shape  
of the bird  with a deep notched tail and the lemonny/yellow color said 
"red   
crossbill female".  The bird took of spiraling heavenward in a   half 
circle 
in order to make the upper canopy of a grove of white  pines.
The song was sweet, without the jarring and guttural sounds that  the  
Smithsonian recordings generally indicate for red crossbill  although one 
of the  

recordings is somewhat sweeter.  The  flight call was a series of  "tsinks" 
to my ears!
Any thoughts  would be helpful.  
I have not entered "it" on the report of birds  seen today at Kent  Pond. 

Kent Pond,  Rutland, US-VT
Sep  24, 2012 8:10 AM - 10:05 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5   mile(s)

22  species

Canada Goose  68   On the  pond.
Mallard  10
Blue-winged Teal   6
Common Loon   2
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Belted  Kingfisher  1
Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker  1
Downy  Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker   1
Northern Flicker  (Yellow-shafted)  2
Pileated Woodpecker   1
Eastern  Phoebe  1
Blue Jay  42     Mostly  moving  south in small flocks, largest was 15.
American Crow   5
Common  Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  5
Tufted  Titmouse   1
Gray Catbird  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  (Myrtle)  1
Song  Sparrow  4
White-throated Sparrow   3
American Goldfinch   4


Cheers,
Roy Pilcher
The  Gables at East Mountain, Rutland,  Vermont

Speaking the same  language.