I just had a flock of Common Redpolls at my tray feeder. There must have been 25 or 30 of them
at the feeder or in the bushes waiting their turn. These are the first Redpolls I've seen this year.
We've had a Carolina Wren at the feeder occasionally since mid November.

(Not my pic)

I've been seeing unfamiliar birds I can't identify this year. It's been driving me nuts. We had one around this summer that we thought was a Veery but perhaps was this Carolina Wren.
You know, people make fun of my birdwatching habit, but if I take them with me once, they are hooked. I might've seen Redpolls recently and mistaken them for finches because they were deep inside a burning bush and I couldn't see them very well.

Quoted from Madam X

I've been seeing unfamiliar birds I can't identify this year. It's been driving me nuts. We had one around this summer that we thought was a Veery but perhaps was this Carolina Wren.
You know, people make fun of my birdwatching habit, but if I take them with me once, they are hooked. I might've seen Redpolls recently and mistaken them for finches because they were deep inside a burning bush and I couldn't see them very well.

"Carolina Wrens can be distinguished by a rich cinnamon plumage, white eyebrow stripe, and long,
upward-cocked tail."
The tail and white eyebrow stripe help identify the bird for me.


Cornell, All about birds:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_Wren/id

The female Redpoll differs from the male with no red on it's breast.  
Both sexes have a red forehead and a black chin with white striped brown feathers.
Female Common Redpoll:

Our bird had chipmunk-like coloring, and could've been like this, but I can't remember what the stripes looked like. If I see it again I will look for the white, but it's pretty much a heard and not seen bird.
We had a large hawk land in our yard with its kill about a week ago. Eww. Nature is a bit much for me sometimes. What a beak those things have.

I think we did see the Redpolls. They seem somehow more organized than the finches.

I've also been seeing a bird that looks like a rounder Mockingbird, just sits in a shrub, and if you come nearer it goes deeper into the shrub instead of fleeing.
I saw a large flock of migratory Snow Geese up at Saratoga last weekend. I knew that regular geese were supposed to be in this area, but I had only ever seen Canada Geese in the wild up until now.

Quoted from Madam X

Our bird had chipmunk-like coloring, and could've been like this, but I can't remember what the stripes looked like. If I see it again I will look for the white, but it's pretty much a heard and not seen bird.
We had a large hawk land in our yard with its kill about a week ago. Eww. Nature is a bit much for me sometimes. What a beak those things have.

We went to the the Vermont Institute of Natural Science this fall in Quechee, VT.  They rehabilitate
injured hawks and owls, but have a few that were too badly injured to return to the wild, so they
are on display and used in education programs.  
It's a great facility and only a few hours from the capitol district.
Their website
http://www.vinsweb.org/index.php/home

Birds of Schenectady

That will do, Henry.

What are those large birds in the sky overhead in Schenectady? Oh I found them in my bird book they're vultures.

I kinda like the birds in walmart's parking lot.

Quoted from Shadow

What are those large birds in the sky overhead in Schenectady? Oh I found them in my bird book they're vultures.

noooo, they are politicians watching over the 'thunderdome'

After being missing for a few weeks, about 60 Redpolls were at the feeder today.

I put out a suet feeder and one of those birdseed bells after that first big snowstorm. I hung them well out of reach of a couple of neighborhood cats, off of a roof overhang for cover, but no takers. I think I've been blacklisted because that hawk was in my yard.