This Sunday morning I arrived at the park just after 7:30am. The still rising sun created a nice sky with rays peeking out from behind puffy white clouds in the east. As I walked around the park it was still a bit dark in places but the sun gradually crept in and created a warm glow on everything. It was ideal light to see and photograph birds but the problem is that I was just not really seeing any. At the south parking lot, I did see a mature Bald Eagle perched just above the water out in Palmer Lake but my camera was not able to focus through all the cattails. Other birds I spotted included Juncos, Cardinals, Starlings and large groups of Goldfinches that were making a lot of noise. I had walked nearly all the way around the park and could even see my vehicle again and I'd barely taken any interesting photos. As a last-ditch-effort, I decided to try sitting on the edge of the small pond on the east side where yesterday I spotted a few things such as Sparrows, House Finches and a Grackle. I noisily made my way in, found a good fallen log and sat down facing the water.
I'd only been sitting there just a few minutes when a bird flew directly towards me and landed on the very log I was sitting on, only about 3 feet away. Now my philosophy is that ANY bird that's closer than 10 feet away is
always worth photographing so I quickly drew up my camera to focus. When it did, I realized this was no ordinary or familiar looking bird to me. The first feature that struck me as odd was that it's long bill was "crossed" at the tips, then secondly it's coloring was unlike anything I'd ever seen before -a beautiful mottled pattern of pale red and yellow. Within seconds I realized there is only one species this could be -a Red Crossbill! I'm not at all familiar with them but without my guide book in my back pocket, I seemed to remember that they are one of those "northern" birds found mainly in the far upper portion of Minnesota.
Not quite being sure if that were the case or not, I was thinking this was a fairly rare sighting as I wildly snapped as many pics as I could. Surprisingly the bird was not at all skittish despite being only feet from the end of my camera lens. It hopped about the log to move downwards and closer to the water and I found myself actually backing up my lens further and further to try and keep him in focus. Finally he hopped right down onto a small branch that was just beneath the surface of the water and began to dip in his crossed bill for a drink of water! I couldn't believe I was getting to see this at such at close distance -it was amazing to see such a unique bird to this area so intimately! After taking 3 or 4 quick drinks, it finally flew up and perched somewhere behind me in the thick shrubs surrounding the water. I'm not sure but it looked like there may have been a second one near it but it was hard to tell with the sun now in my eyes.
Again I'm not familiar with this species at all but I'm guessing the one I saw was likely a male with non breeding plumage? From what my field guides say, the females don't have any traces of red coloring. Indeed my guide also shows this species wintering only as far south as Duluth, but that they are also known to be "irruptive" meaning that they may move to different and new areas in search of food. Quite a sighting for me though - I love when I get to see a particular species for the first time ever at Palmer Lake Park!
I'd only been sitting there just a few minutes when a bird flew directly towards me and landed on the very log I was sitting on, only about 3 feet away. Now my philosophy is that ANY bird that's closer than 10 feet away is always worth photographing so I quickly drew up my camera to focus. When it did, I realized this was no ordinary or familiar looking bird to me. The first feature that struck me as odd was that it's long bill was "crossed" at the tips, then secondly it's coloring was unlike anything I'd ever seen before -a beautiful mottled pattern of pale red and yellow. Within seconds I realized there is only one species this could be -a Red Crossbill! I'm not at all familiar with them but without my guide book in my back pocket, I seemed to remember that they are one of those "northern" birds found mainly in the far upper portion of Minnesota. 
Not quite being sure if that were the case or not, I was thinking this was a fairly rare sighting as I wildly snapped as many pics as I could. Surprisingly the bird was not at all skittish despite being only feet from the end of my camera lens. It hopped about the log to move downwards and closer to the water and I found myself actually backing up my lens further and further to try and keep him in focus. Finally he hopped right down onto a small branch that was just beneath the surface of the water and began to dip in his crossed bill for a drink of water! I couldn't believe I was getting to see this at such at close distance -it was amazing to see such a unique bird to this area so intimately! After taking 3 or 4 quick drinks, it finally flew up and perched somewhere behind me in the thick shrubs surrounding the water. I'm not sure but it looked like there may have been a second one near it but it was hard to tell with the sun now in my eyes. 
Again I'm not familiar with this species at all but I'm guessing the one I saw was likely a male with non breeding plumage? From what my field guides say, the females don't have any traces of red coloring. Indeed my guide also shows this species wintering only as far south as Duluth, but that they are also known to be "irruptive" meaning that they may move to different and new areas in search of food. Quite a sighting for me though - I love when I get to see a particular species for the first time ever at Palmer Lake Park!
Thanks to iamps2001 (www.flickr.com/photos/15186075@N04/) for proper identification as a White-winged Crossbill, not a Red Crossbill! Red Crossbill would have almost no trace of white wingbars.
ReplyDeletewww.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-winged_Crossbill/id