Hi Everyone,
I was thrilled this morning to hear a sound I've been on high alert for over the last couple weeks - RED CROSSBILL flight calls. I was standing in a parking lot counting the passing flocks of CANADA GEESE, my first pronounced southbound movements this fall, when I heard the calls. The singled and mostly doubled, rich tchip-tchip flight calls sounded identical to the calls Mikey Lutmerding recorded on 9/11, which were confirmed as the irrupting Type 3. I am familiar with Red Crossbill and other winter finch flight calls and was warmed up from recent review of RECR flight call variations. They flew over low, appearing from a woods dominated by Virginia Pine to the east and flew southwest from my location. They were clearly finches and their shape and size (plump, slightly notched tails) supported their flight calls, though I did not have binoculars (or phone to record their calls). The location is slightly east of 295 and north of Route 32. Hopefully this
is just the start of what will be a major invasion into our area. For those preparing for flyovers, be sure to consider Purple Finches as well, which are arriving in numbers. I've always felt Purple Finches are the main species to rule out when considering Red Crossbill flight calls. That said, the quality of these Type 3's is noticeably different from the Red Crossbills I've encountered in western Maryland in past years.
Good birding!
Bill
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Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland
<bill_hubick...>
http://www.billhubick.com
http://www.marylandbiodiversity.com
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