Seward, Alaska
Sunny, 15-27º, north wind.
Just by chance, I happened to be standing quietly near a nice cluster of catkin-laden alders at Lowell Point State Recreation Site. Not a bird was heard, none in sight. I waited. Then suddenly, a flock of about 20 COMMON REDPOLLS swarmed to an alder farther away and began extracting the tiny seeds from the woody, cone-like catkins. I waited.
Sure enough, bit by bit, they moved closer and closer. Finally, the small finches were right by me, giving me wonderful views of their red caps and raspberry-pink fronts. A rump view looked like Nature took a small brush and carefully added rosy marks to the light brown canvas above the tail.
The Redpolls bounced like bumblebees from one catkin to the next, making quick work of the snacks. Grasping the catkins with strong, black toes, they nonchalantly hung upside down, sideways, and perched on top. Their yellow bills deftly extracted the tiny nutlets, peeled away the papery wings, and gobbled them down.
Upon an invisible signal, they all surged to the next alder, fleeced its calories, and then swirled away, leaving me with the quiet once again. I waited. Hearing and seeing none, I reluctantly left the park and the sun, knowing a week of mixed rain/snow/sleet was forecast.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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