Spring is here!

It has been very busy at the feeders this week! No new birds but some that have come back for spring!

The Redpolls are still here! I haven't been watching them for the Hoary so not sure if it is still here.

The Goldfinches are still here, coming more and more now and I think the males are starting to change into their breeding plumage...they seem brighter yellow and dark patches are starting to appear on their heads.

There are a few House Sparrows and there are now 3 pairs of House Finches...not sure but I think there is one pair that are Purple Finches but I have to check with the binoculars...

The pair of White-Breasted Nuthatches still come every day and a pair of Downy Woodpeckers come by every now and then too.

There are 5 Black-Capped Chickadees who are always here!

I now have 2 Starlings who come by every day to scare the Redpolls off! They pick at the suet and then fly away.

The Canada Geese have been flying overhead, there are American Crows everywhere and since Saturday I have had Blue Jays, Mourning Doves and a pair of Cardinals! AND, a Robin was singing in my maple tree on Tuesday! Yay! Spring is here!!!

Oh! And a Pine Siskin this morning!

Redpolls

I've had a big flock of Redpolls
around lately. They keep emptying my niger feeder! I always watch them carefully to see if I might have a Hoary Redpoll mixed in with the Common Redpolls...There are several that I find lighter and have less streaking on the front but I think they are just light Commons. Then the other day there was one that was really easy to spot among the large flock! It was a little bit bigger and much lighter on its back. So I think it is a Hoary Redpoll!

They seem to be pretty rare, after announcing on my bird group that I thought I might have one, 2 people have contacted me to ask if they could come over to watch my flock! :0)