New Year, New Birds

While leading a tour for the first group of kids to arrive at camp for the new year, a loud group of yellow and red birds descended on the tree near the bathrooms. They proved to be Red Crossbills, which I had only seen once before (the last day of camp before the break, actually), so I ran and got my camera.

The females are more of a yellow color. It's pretty fucking typical that the common name only references the males. The "crossbill" part of their name references their can-opener like bills, used for prying cones apart to get at seeds.

I saw them again later, and then again the next day. There were a few Pine Siskins mixed in with the flock, which was a bonus. On Friday, there was a lone crossbill singing from the top of a tree. I'm not sure if sightings will become a regular occurrence this season, or if the flock will move on.

When the whole flock was up in the fir trees, their voracious eating and poor table (er, branch?) manners resulted in a sound not unlike newly inundated rice crispies,and the sight of a hail of dropped cones. It was also interesting watching them jockey for position along the rain gutter they were using as a trough.