3 Common Redpolls just simply is not enough to satiate my hunger!!

After having a fantastic day of birding the day before with Kirk in numerous locations across northeastern Massachusetts, you'd think I would have had my weekly fill of our fine avian friends. However, there was one bird in particular that I just simply had to see more of! After having seen a report online this morning on the Massachusetts Birding List by Willy Hutcheson of the numbers of Common Redpolls being seen at the feeders near the Thoreau School in West Concord, I just had to try and see more of these wonderful winter finches! So, just prior to the rains moving in, I arrived at the aforementioned location that I had visited yesterday with Kirk by 12:20 pm. Having waited for 15 minutes with only a lone American Goldfinch at the feeders, a few Redpolls moved in to chow down. But minutes later, the whole rest of the flock maneuvered in! Only a few more alighted on the feeders, the rest of the brethren (over 70 birds!) perching themselves in the deciduous trees forming a perimeter around the grouping of feeders! All of them were quite communicative and flitty, moving as a whole over my head from tree-to to tree-top! What a spectacular sight this all was, and surely I had gotten my fix for Redpolls.....at least for now!

Location:     Thoreau School, West Concord, MA
Observation date:     3/6/11
Notes:     Arrived at Thoreau School parking lot in West Concord by 12:20 pm to get my fill of observing Redpolls after getting my first taste at the same location the day before. Waited about 15 minutes before a few showed up at the feeders. Then a few minutes later, the whole flock arrived of at least 70 birds. I think it is safe to say the flock was larger than 70, but that is what I could count before my I lost track as they kept flying together around me from tree to tree that forms a perimeter around the feeders.
Number of species:     4

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     5
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     2
Common Redpoll - Acanthis flammea     70
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)


Today was also the day I usually spend time observing my own feeders here at home for Cornell's Project FeederWatch. I had missed Week 15's observance last Sunday due to being busy with family, visiting the Peabody Essex Museum. Nonetheless, today did not yield much in the total numbers of birds, but the number of species of birds in attendance is in keeping with the entirety of the FeederWatch observance to date, at least for the most part. My ever-present,  good little buddy, the Red-breasted Nuthatch, was still hanging around, taking its opportune moments to swoop in and score some black sunflower seeds. A Carolina Wren also came around, being as noisy and boisterous as ever!

Mourning Dove	4
Downy Woodpecker	1
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	1
American Crow	1
Black-capped Chickadee	7
Tufted Titmouse	4
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
Carolina Wren	1
American Robin	1
Dark-eyed Junco	1
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	3
American Goldfinch	1

A weekend full of wonderful birding was had, and it had been some time since I have had such a memorable, full weekend birding (at least since January 1st of this year). So far, I have 5 new Lifers this year (Green-tailed Towhee, Spotted Towhee, King Eider, Great Cormorant, Common Redpoll), thusly, a great start! But me thinks I am being greedy, for I would still love to have Redpolls here at my own feeders before this winter is said and done! But that is just being selfish isn't it??! Anyhoo, good birding to everyone!!