MadBirders

Beautiful and uncommon Pine Grosbeaks have been seen in several locations around the Valley this winter – Moretown Village and Common, Waitsfield Common, East Warren Road. These birds are unusually tame and can be found feeding in fruit trees, often returning to the same location day after day. Three Christmas Bird Count teams reported Pine Grosbeaks sightings in the Valley in December.

Common Redpolls are winter visitors to the Valley, they nest in far north. Redpolls are small members of the finch family and form large flocks (50-100) in the winter. Many people are reporting these cheerful little birds at their thistle feeders this winter.

At about noon on November 17th we spied an unusual looking bird at our rear feeder in Fayston, Vermont. It caught our attention because it had an almost completely white head. We concluded that it was a partial albino chickadee, because the size, shape, behavior and other plumage on the bird looked like a Chickadee. Chico D, as we dubbed him, stayed around for 4 days. On his last day with us, November 20th, I camped out underneath our front feeder with the camera and got a clear shot of him. His beak and feet were pink, another atypical coloration. Though we looked for him every day after that…he evidently flew the coop and has not been seen again.