Hoary Redpoll numbers are growing in Marathon. We now have about a dozen unambiguous male "*exilipes*" Hoary Redpolls at our backyard feeder. On Saturday (January 8, 2011), a much larger male "Hornemann's" Hoary Redpoll was present with at least one "Greater" Common Redpoll.
Thus, all four Ontario subspecies were present within inches of each other - nice to be able to compare them. Photos can be seen on our blog here<http://northshorenature.blogspot.com/2011/01/hornemanns-hoary-and-greater-common.html> : http://northshorenature.blogspot.com/2011/01/hornemanns-hoary-and-greater-common.html Thanks go to Ron Pittaway and and Michel Gosselin for confirming the ID's. Yesterday (January 9, 2011) I walked through some of the scrubby bush beside the mill in Marathon and I came upon a flock of about 20 redpolls feeding on Green Alder seeds. The birds were very focussed on their foraging and this allowed me the chance to closely observe most of them at close range - all of the 13 I could see were (*exilipes*) Hoary Redpolls. The Town of Marathon is located off Hwy 17 (Trans-Canada) 250 km NW of Sault Ste. Marie or 280 km E of Thunder Bay. Michael Butler Marathon Ontario http://northshorenature.blogspot.com/ _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
