Red Crossbills again...26 this time.

Red Crossbill, Prescott Peninsula, July 28, 2012

Red Crossbills, Prescott Peninsula, July 28, 2012

Red Crossbill, Prescott Peninsula, July 28, 2012

Red Crossbill, Prescott Peninsula, July 28, 2012

Red Crossbill, Prescott Peninsula, July 28, 2012

After my success with finding Red Crossbills last week on the restricted access Prescott Peninsula I talked with various directors and biologists there to get permission to make another trip in to try and get some video/audio of the birds and a better overall count.  The reason to get the audio is for analysis to determine the exact type of Red Crossbills present and almost certainly breeding there.  There are nine recognized types of Red Crossbills that are may indeed be separate species and can be identified by their various calls.  Additional information concerning the various types of Red Crossbills can be found at:
http://earbirding.com/blog/archives/31

http://www.sibleyguides.com/2010/09/red-crossbill-call-types-act-like-species/

http://bl171w.blu171.mail.live.com/default.aspx

I went in this morning around 6am and stayed through midday.  My travels today turned up a total of 26 Red Crossbills in groups ranging in size from eight to two.  At times I would have a couple in view and hear another so there likely were even more than the 26 individuals I saw.  The groups I did see numbered 8, 6, 4, 3,3,2.  Most birds were adults with a near even mix of males and females but there were a few juveniles birds mixed in. 

Once I get the analysis done, through the assistance of Ian Davies, I will post the results and provide a bit more insight into one of the rarer breeding species in the state.

Additional photos and video at my Flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/

In addition today I found a variety of birds around with a further drop off in singing.  Some nice numbers of Cedar waxwings (with some still collecting nest material), Eastern Towhee's, Red-breasted Nuthatch's, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, etc.  I included the list from today below.

Pond at dawn, Prescott Peninsula, July 28, 2012

Prescott Peninsula

Wood Duck 8
Hooded Merganser 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Mourning Dove 4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 11 One small area had half a dozen
Belted Kingfisher 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 6
Downy Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 6
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Eastern Phoebe 7
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Eastern Kingbird 5
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Blue-headed Vireo 10
Red-eyed Vireo 56
Blue Jay 34
American Crow 2
Tree Swallow 12
Barn Swallow 6
Black-capped Chickadee 59
Tufted Titmouse 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 22
White-breasted Nuthatch 11
Brown Creeper 1
House Wren 3
Winter Wren 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Veery 6
Hermit Thrush 6
Wood Thrush 5
American Robin 31
Gray Catbird 29
Cedar Waxwing 58 still collecting nest material
Ovenbird 3
Black-and-white Warbler 8
Common Yellowthroat 44
American Redstart 9
Magnolia Warbler 2
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 14
Black-throated Blue Warbler 3
Pine Warbler 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 6
Black-throated Green Warbler 3
Canada Warbler 1
Eastern Towhee 51
Chipping Sparrow 18
Song Sparrow 11
Scarlet Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 9
Baltimore Oriole 2
Purple Finch 1
Red Crossbill 26 Groups of 8,6,4,3,3,2. Photographs and video. Mix of adults and a few juveniles
American Goldfinch 19