Greetings birders - 
 
Gabe Leidy just called to report 3 (three) male RED CROSSBILLS associating with a flyover goldfinch flock on the outskirts of Dike 14 (outside the fence is Gordon Park). All three birds were males and were flying due south. He reports a good movement of birds in region; West Creek Reservation (Parma) had 81 Pine Siskins this morning, and he was/is seeing another 75+ siskins currently at Gordon Park. Also, waxwing flocks, and surprisingly, a tight flock of 8 chickadees (definitely migrants) added to the busy scene of birds.  
 
Unless you have a point-blank look at flying finches, ID can be really tough based solely on plumage marks. It would actually be safe to say that you will see NO siskins this year if you are not familiar with their distinct flight call (unless you have a few siskins at your feeders). Meanwhile, you will hear/see dozens if you key in to their twangy-buzz goldfinch-like calls as they fly over. It would be wise to spend a few minutes familiarizing your internal processor's song/call library with these northern finch calls. A REALLY great resource is the Cornell Lab's sound library, which is easily (and free) accessed online at:  www.macaulaylibrary.org
 
Simply type in the name of the species and typically a boatload of sound recordings will pop up, as well as some video recordings. 
 
Knowing these calls ahead of time will help you in the field, as birds can be detected far more quickly (i.e. 10 seconds compared to "whoops what was that"), allowing for quick but slightly longer observation time. 
 
Best of birding - 
Jen
 
Jen Brumfield
Sharon Center, OH
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