"Winter" finches and tardy migrants

Redpoll flocks are everywhere. Many are taking advantage of the bumper crop of White Birch seeds. Many more can be seen migrating along the Lake Superior coast, from SE to NW. I saw the first flocks, numbering ~140 individuals, on October 13. On the morning of the 18th I tallied ~1250 redpolls migrating westward. Since then they have been ubiquitous. Today I spotted a Hoary Redpoll, a very pale male "exilipes", feeding in a birch with a dozen or so Common Redpolls.

[click on images to enlarge]

Common Redpolls feeding on Birch Seeds.

Since late spring we've grown accustomed to very good numbers of White-winged Crossbills that have taken advantage of the abundant crop of White Spruce cones. Along the north shore, males could be heard singing through the summer. In the last month, WWCR numbers have grown and have been joined among the cones by Pine Siskins.

White-winged Crossbills and Pine Siskin, Marathon, Oct 27.

Northern Shrikes are more conspicuous this autumn. I saw three this afternoon. All were chasing redpolls.

Northern Shrike at the Pic RIver, Oct 25.

A few interesting late-to-depart passerines have shown up in recent days.

Brown Thrasher in Heron Bay, Oct 25.

Black-throated Blue Warbler at Marathon, Oct 27.

Lastly, in nearby Manitouwadge a female Eastern Towhee - a real rarity in northern Ontario - showed up in Tammie Hache's yard today [thanks for the use of your photo, Tammie!]

Eastern Towhee in Manitouwadge Oct 27. Tammie Hache

Brown Thrasher still showing in SSM

Ken McIlwrick photo

The Brown Thrasher that I first reported back on Dec 6th, 2009, and counted during the CBC is still alive and well. It continues to come to a feeder in town (86 Essex Lane in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario ) where it consumes meal-worms, suet, seeds, nuts and oatmeal. It has been feeding at this backyard location since the middle of Nov 2009.

It is pretty skittish to the presence of humans, but is now becoming a dominant bird at the feeder (it used to get scared off by Mourning Doves). The best way to observe the bird is actually from inside the house where it appears unaware that it is being watched. Unfortunately photos taken from inside the house are not exactly high quality. It still feeds first in the morning (7:30-8:30am) but now makes brief noon hour appearances on sunny days at its favourite garden Trellis/Bench combo. At night it takes refuge in the Cedar hedges that surrounds this residence.

Here is a recent photo (7:41 am this morning - Feb 10). The photo attached is washed out and not all that sharp or saturated. It was taken in partial darkness through a dirty double pane kitchen window, on an angle while it was snowing.

Ken McIlwrick

Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Brown Thrasher in Sault Ste. Marie

Ken McIlwrick shared this great shot of a Brown Thrasher that's been eating suet and seed at a feeder on Essex Lane in Sault Ste. Marie for about three weeks. Thanks Ken!
Photo by Ken McIlwrick