Date: 10/12/12 5:48 am
From: Scott Loss <scottrloss...>
Subject: [MDBirding] DC - 4 finch species commute (Pine Siskins, Purple Finches)


A great morning for finches in NW DC. During the 2 mile walk to work, I saw Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, Goldfinches, and House Finches. The 3 siskins flew over the neighborhood south of Tregaron Conservancy giving their 2 note klee-er call notes. Later, 4 Purple Finches flew over the National Zoo giving their distinctive call notes.

For anyone wanting to brush up on finch flight calls for this fall/winter, here is a great site: http://pjdeye.blogspot.com/2009/03/finch-calls.html. The first siskin recording is the most commonly heard call heard when they fly overhead.

Other good birds included 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches (zoo), a migrating Sharp-shinned Hawk (near Tregaron Conservancy), both kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Brown Thrasher.

Scott Loss
DC

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