They were Saturday's surprise visitors, two common redpolls who visited (very briefly) the biggest of the feeders along the trail into the deep woods. Alas, the two delicate passerines did not stay for more than a minute or so - they were intimidated by the vast numbers of chickadees and nuthatches swooping in and out of the feeding stations, and by three red squirrels chattering from pine perches overhead. There was little nor no wind at the time, but the feeders were describing wide arcs as they swung back and forth in all the avian "toing and froing", and the pines themselves were swaying as the squirrels danced about in their topmost branches.
Redpolls in flocks are not easily intimidated by other species and tend to hold their ground, so I am assuming that the timidity of this pair was due to the absence of their friends at the woodland banquet.
4 comments:
I've had redpolls in my garden over the last couple of weeks while we have had the cold, snowy weather (not snowy by your standards of course! just the pathetic UK version), they are coming for the nyger seed and competing with goldfinches and siskins for the goodies. It's not a common bird in gardens in UK so it's exciting to have them if only briefly.
Unfortunately, we don't have redpolls here in AZ...wish we did! They're charming little creatures..
That is such a cute and fussy looking little bird!
What a lovely treat
Hope some stop here
I am ready for the spring migration
- not that I want our winter residents to leave - but I do love to have the visitors
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