Yesterday, we entertained the first Common Redpolls (4) to show up at our feeders this winter.  With increasing temperatures and decreasing snow cover, I imagined my next Redpoll sighting might not be until the next snow storm up here in northern Ohio.  I was wrong.  Returning to the house from some earlier activities, I glanced at the thistle feeder in the back yard and noticed several Redpolls.  Looking to the ground beneath the feeders, I started to count additional birds arriving at a total of sixteen (16).  They were taking advantage of the seed that had fallen to the ground but had been covered with snow earlier in the week.  Do I dare hope these northerly finches will visit me for the remainder of the season?  I'll keep the feeders full just in case.

Other birds availing themselves to our feeders today included the expected Downy Woodpecker, both Nuthatches, House Finch and American Goldfinch.

Good birding.

Tim Colborn

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]