Indeed, the Redpolls have come.
Yesterday I spotted this new (to me) bird, flock of them actually, at the Sabine feeders.
You readers instantly illumined my mind by informing me that this is the Common Redpoll.
They are a bit more aggressive than other birds, and they so far have spent energy driving away the very similar Pine Siskin.
This Chickadee is doing his usual grab and dash, so the Redpole hasn’t gone after him… yet.
I am guessing that they have moved south from Canada in search of food during this already hard winter.
There scientific name is Carduelis flammea, for obvious reasons.
You can see the similarity to its cousin, Pine Siskin.
In other news… this American Goldfinch is hanging around, doing that flapping thing to stay on the perch on this windy day!
"But Father! But Father!", I can hear you saying. "Enough about the Goldfinch! What about that Navy Bean Soup you were making yesterday??"
With a slice of a dark rye, it’s pretty good.
