Red Polls

Just as I was grumbling about winter never ending while drinking coffee, watching the weather man say 2- 4 inches of snow Friday a flock of birds invaded our feeder. Spring is always fun to see the different birds that stop through. I missed a picture earlier in the morning of 4 grouse stopping in but got the camera out for this display, an entire flock of Common Red Polls. Troy informs me there are other forms of Red Polls and these are common ones, who knew! So even with the snow in the forecast spring is in the air and the birds know it They were moving so fast I had to click quickly to catch this female in a tree. The males have the distinctive red on their heads but they were not cooperating The local chickadees who have been with us all winter had no room to get into the feeder. If they flew in close they were chased off by the local interloping bullies Chickadee trying to sneak in pretending to be a Red Poll Chickadee saying a few choice words to the male Red Poll Best to just retreat and live to fight another day