As I mentioned in a post a couple of days ago, Purple Finches are moving
through northwestern Ohio in impressive numbers.  Kim and I have seen /
heard them just about everywhere that we've been outdoors in Ottawa County
over the last few days.  And I know that one highly skilled observer had
small numbers flying over central Columbus a couple of days ago, so the
flight isn't just confined to the northwest.  These birds are very easy to
overlook -- listen carefully for their callnotes, a metallic "pik," and
watch for them at feeders, where they appear a little more chunky and
short-tailed than the omnipresent House Finches (and with some plumage
differences, of course -- check your field guide).  This may be an
exceptionally good flight year for Purple Finches and I hope that birders
will keep notes on when / where they show up.

Kenn Kaufman
Rocky Ridge, Ohio

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