Redpolls

["David S. Wheeler" <dwheeler at deq dot state dot ut dot us>]

Happy New Year to one and all!

Yesterday, New Year's Day, Mark Stackhouse went out to see if we could start off the new year with something interesting.  The new year started off in a bit of a fog, and that wasn't due to staying up too late or pickling the brain with too much champagne the night before.  It seemed like no matter how far from Salt Lake we tried to get, the dreary grayness seemed to be there waiting for us whenever we arrived at a spot we wanted to search.  Struck out on the Ruff west of Stinky Springs.  Found only the female Surf scoter on the causeway of the great possibilities recently reported.

Then, as we rushed home to meet deadlines, we pulled over at Mantua to check out some bird feeders.  But before we could do that, we noticed an interesting flock wheel into a tree with the precision of a school of sardines.  Hmm...  All right, thought we, why not give it a little closer look?  And, after fumbling through some of the possibilities--siskin, house finch... NO!  Redpolls!!  That elusive species we've sought for years, at last was right there in front of us!  And not one, but a flock of sixteen, including some beatiful, pink-washed males!  We first saw them at 100 N Main Street, but they seemed to fly about, frequenting white birches with catkins (which they deftly munched), especially at a house near 200 North Main (east side of street).

The little things are very tame, allowing one to approach quite close.  Mark and I think there is a good chance that this flock will stick around a little longer htan some of the previous sightings at feeders because they are in a cohesive flock rather than lone individuals and there are many white birches with catkins for them to eat in Mantua.  Good luck to those of you who will head up to try your luck.

Mantua is located atop Sardine Canyon east of Brigham City, off US89.

- --David