Red Crossbill

Ok I will thanks

I do think Liam is correct, although I admit questioning it at first. But first photo you can see the beak. It is amazing how much this species varies in color http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/114... photo is female). I would change the description on this to read, with a crossed beak, not with a short beak. That is confusing.

It does look like a Scarlet Tanager, but the male Scarlet Tanagers have already molted out of their brilliant red plumage and into their drab, yellow-greenish apparel. I can safely say that this is not a Scarlet Tanager nor a House Finch. House Finches would have white, brown-streaked bellied. This bird highly resembles a Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) to me, and that's what I put my vote on.

Yeah it is correct

Is the date of the spotting correct PineappleMan?

I agree that the description sounds like a scarlet tanager. I discounted it as the range maps indicate that it should not be there at this time of year. I realize that the birds do not strictly keep to the maps, but with the early snows, it seems that they should have moved south.

It looks far too red for a house finch which are predominantly brown with a red breast & head. As I can't make out too much from the photo, from your description & the color my best guess would scarlet tanager http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Scarl...

Possibly a house finch or a purple finch. Look at the comparison
http://identify.whatbird.com/cp/compare....