Bird of the Week – Common Redpoll
The very Common Redpoll, WC gets counts in the hundreds at his feeders. Still, the males, with the reddish wash on their chest, bring a bit of color to an Interior Alaska winter.
Common Redpoll at -40 F
The winter of 2013-2014 has already been a tough one for Redpolls. Their primary winter food is birch mast, the seeds of the Alaska Paper Birch. The windstorms devastated the birch mast, so food supplies are short. And it takes a lot of food to keep these little guys moving at sub-arctic temperatures. Happily, they are enthusiastic breeders, double- and sometimes triple-clutchng each summers.
For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
On a completely different note: first sunrise of the year at slipstream’s house!
Well, sort of a theoretical sunrise. Solid grey clouds, and I didn’t see the sun at all.
January 7 is the first day the sun (on a clear day) struggles above the ridgeline to shine on my house. It only lasts about 15 minutes, and only part of the sun’s disk clears the ridgeline. It’s been 35 days since the sun last peeked over the ridgeline, December 3 for about 32 minutes (but it was also cloudy that day). I live in Eagle River, a few miles north of Anchorage. My house is in the valley, so the shadow of the mountains is a problem in winter.
Just so you know I’m not the only sun geek around, here is an interesting article about others who are starving for sunshine:
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20140106/far-north-we-pay-close-attention-light
While it is cloudy today, it is also 28 degrees above. Warmer than, say, Atlanta GA, which is currently at 20 above..
Fella,I’m charging you with attempting to plagiarize Hank Snow’s song Mockingbird Hill,almost.
http://www.metrolyrics.com/mockin-bird-hill-lyrics-hank-snow.html
Actually, you inadvertently brought back memories of my Mother who used to sing these lyrics when I wuz young and dumb. Si I am humbly in your debt and wish you all the sun you can handle.BTW,it wuz 14 above yesterday and -20 on Monday with a high around zero. Water pipes were froze yesterday morning.
Awww, these sweet little creatures. I hope they mate away like rabbits and begin to replenish their numbers.
Thanks!
Wow. I’ve never seen one of these before. Stunning.
Looks like a mini-butterball turkey. If you pour turkey broth on it as it flies,does that count as being lam-basted? Someone had to say it.
Beautiful!
He’s definitely taking advantage of his “down jacket.” 😉
Another pinko fellow traveler.
I love your photos WC!
They haven’t come to my feeders yet. They’re always the last to come, but they are ferocious feeders when they arrive. Pine Siskins behave similarly.