Several folks saw at least two White-winged Crossbills today (Thanksgiving) at Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins. As has been the case since they were first observed on November 22nd, they were in the company of Red Crossbills. The number of total birds in the flock seems to vary. Today it was 11 birds, most of the time. While they were in the southeast corner in the tops of Colorado Blue and Engelmann Spruce trees, I am fairly certain the number of White-wings was 3 (one pink adult male and two "yellow" female/immature types, with one of the latter appearing somewhat striped). I would say the Red Crossbills are of at least two Types: mostly 5's ("lodgepole" crossbill) and maybe a small-billed female 4 ("Douglas-fir" crossbill). I would caution folks that a couple of the individual male Red Crossbills have weak wingbars, as Sibley shows for a "variant 1st year male". One Red Crossbill seemed to have a very large bill and might have been a Type 2, but none of the vocalizations I concentrated on sounded like a 5. The overwhelming sound one hears when they get ready to leave, are leaving, and when they are flying overhead is that of Type 5, with the overall chorus being "muddied" by the White-winged Crossbill voices heavily laced with "ch" endings. Two people I talked to today mentioned seeing what I thought I was seeing the other day, that being courtship type activities among two of the White-wings. I have seen them fly around chasing eachother, giving the "toop" calls in the process. Fred Lebsack (Cheyenne, WY) and Connie Alwood (St. Louis, MO) said, while scoping the birds, they saw food exchange between the two.
The crossbills can be anywhere in the cemetery where the big spruces with cones are. There has been at least one Pine Siskin tagging along the last two days (not all that much smaller and stripier than a young White-winged Crossbill, but its bill is, of course, much smaller). Also continuing at the cemetery: Townsend's Solitaire (1) usually near the junipers Golden-crowned Kinglet (1 female) lots of both chickadees lots of creepers lots of Red-breasted Nuthatches White-breasted Nuthatch (1) usually in American elms in the north part of the cemetery, or along the ditch in the northeast part Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- Colorado Field Ornithologists: http://www.cfo-link.org/ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en