Redpolls

Common Redpoll - male

   Redpolls are common in the Arctic tundra and boreal forests. In irruptive years, such as this one, they migrate south in search of food. We seem to see redpolls every other year here in Vermont. There are two varieties - common and hoary - and distinguishing the rarer hoary is tricky! Here are some pictures of what I'm calling common redpolls. For more information on how to distinguish the two, read Sibley's blog;

 http://www.sibleyguides.com/bird-info/common-redpoll-and-hoary-redpoll/

 

More Pine Grosbeaks

  If there's one word that describes Pine Grosbeaks, it's "tame". You can get amazingly close to these birds without flushing them. They're usually pretty docile, just eating crabapples from trees or picking away at what's fallen on the ground.

I'm not sure if these two are adult female and juvenile because this behavior could be interpreted as "the juvenile begging to be fed". Otherwise, it was a "hey! that's my berry!! let go!!!" kind of spat.