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Carduelis flammea
Female, one of a flock of about 40 at my feeder all winter.
Summers and breeds up near the shores of Hudsons Bay and the arctic ocean but most winters large flocks can usually be found in Haliburton County in central Ontario.
Spotted on Mar 11, 2011
Submitted on Mar 11, 2011
3 Comments
Great photo.
I looked up irruption http://www.birdsource.org/ibs/irruption....
And this is what they said about Redpolls:
For example, Common Redpolls feed primarily on the catkins produced by birch and alder trees. When catkin production is low, Common Redpolls leave these areas and irrupt into areas where food is more plentiful. Common Redpoll irruptions can be extensive, ranging as far south as the Middle Atlantic States or central Kansas.
We had an "irruption" this winter in Downeast Maine. Don't see them often maybe once every 3 winters.