Here just north of Lindsay Parsons in West Danby we had our first Redwing Blackbird on Fri 2/15. This is probably a month earlier than I have seen one before in the past. I try to capture some quick photos as a record each year.
Also the Redpolls are causing a giant sucking sound on our thistle and sunflower feeders. Like at least an est 1.5 to 2 kg of seed per day. I have to fill the feeders twice a day now. Even in the spring the flocks of Gold Finches would take several days to lower the large tube thistle feeder by 2/3rds. The Redpolls do this in a day along with a similar effect on the sunflower seed feeders. And they pretty much empty the small metal thistle seed feeder in half a day - they literally cover every inch of this feeder when feeding. Plus it sounds like "The Birds" in the morning. Nigel -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --