This morning I've found crossbills at 3 seperate locations in Wyandot Co.! What a year for them!

First a male and female were at a private resident in Upper Sandusky. They have a driveway that is lined with 12 mature hemlock trees and the snow beneath them is litered with cones. The birds left the hemlocks to feed in a cone bearing spruce in their backyard. I'm sure that there have been more than 2 birds though. This area is about 2 miles from the Oak Hill cemetery.

Next I made a trip to the Oak Hill cemetery where 10 inds. were seen feeding in a hemlock. There was a flock of 15 undulating crossbill like birds that flew over when I was there also.

Last but not least was a group of 12 crossbills, 9 males and 3 females, a mere 2 miles from my house near Sycamore, Ohio. There is a mature hemlock here and a neighbor who has multiple spruce trees in his yard. This small cemetery, named Pleasant Ridge, is on SR103 between Sycamore and SR53 North of Upper Sandusky. The crossbills were feeding in the hemlock, then on the spruce cones, and then returned to the hemlock to feed. One male landed in the top of a deciduous tree and broke into full song! So cool.

There is a very simple rule of thumb here in Wyandot Co. this winter...Hemlocks=Crossbills :-)

Rick Counts
Finchy Wyandot Co.

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