[birding] Re: Where Are The Red Crossbills????

[Karan and Jim Fairchild]

Karan replied directly to Will, that we've had Red Crossbills around for some time.  I'll elaborate for those interested.

We started having crossbills around consistently since last October.  As might be expected, these vagrants breed most any time of year, and the larger flocks broke into smaller groups and pairs and singles into the winter.  In the past month, the groups have become larger, and less predictable. Again, given their atypical breeding season, they may leave our area any time.  I'm assuming there are now fledgling in these flocks.  And always in the treetops and hard to see.

Karl and I noted that there appeared to be what may be two different subspecies, based mostly on differences in song-types, but also based on segregation of singers into pairs.  We never pinned down which types, or at least I didn't. 

I don't know how widespread any synchronized breeding will occur, so no inference is given here whether end-of-breeding season is happening anywhere else.
Cheers, 
Jim Fairchild
6 mi SW of Philomath, E base of Marys Peak, Benton County


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Will Wright 
  To: MidValley Birding 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 5:50 PM
  Subject: [birding] Re: Where Are The Red Crossbills????


  Please let me know of crossbill reports.  I haven't seen or heard any for ???   They should be around.

  ---Will


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  birding mailing list
  birding at midvalleybirding.org
  http://midvalleybirding.org/mailman/listinfo/birding
  http://oregonbirdwatch.org/pipermail/obol/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.midvalleybirding.org/pipermail/birding/attachments/20100601/caf9c20c/attachment.html