[Birdtalk] Red Crossbills, etc. -Midvale

[Matthew J. Williams]

Hello,

A few days of relatively passive birding yielded some interesting 
birds.  Today, while cleaning out our car, I thought I heard crossbills 
(~600E 6800S in Midvale).  I  then thought I was nuts because once I paused 
to listen, there were only the usual Starlings, House Sparrows and House 
Finches.  A bit later ~2pm this afternoon, I was walking out to the car 
with the garbage.  A flock of about a dozen birds flew in.  The bags hit 
the ground and the binoculars (which fortunately I had handy) went up.  The 
calls were conclusive enough but I didn't get much of a visual until I 
realized that much of the flock had settled in the top of a Sycamore tree 
nearby.  I took the garbage with me while I chased the calls.  Nice looks 
at 1 adult male RED CROSSBILLS with 4-5 female/juveniles (backlit and 
difficult to distinguish).  The others had either flown off or were not 
visible.

Coupled with the one or two MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES and the RED-BREASTED 
NUTHATCH that are still around, it's like going to the mountains without 
even leaving the valley (or our little yard).  To further that feel, even 
earlier today (Saturday) my wife and I heard (then saw) 2 STELLER'S JAYS in 
the vicinity of the gardens behind the Cottonwood Presbyterian 
Church  (1580 E. Vine (6100S) in Murray).  Also joining us in the newly 
tilled soil were several AMERICAN ROBINS and a real KILLDEER (not just a 
skilled Starling).

At Wheeler Farm on Friday, a nice, breeding-plumaged Audubon's 
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER greeted us in the parking lot.  2 RUBY-CROWNED 
KINGLETS and a singing SONG SPARROW were in the vicinity of the wetland at 
the SE corner.

With this warm weather, if the montane species would head back uphill, I'd 
start to believe that spring is really here.

Good Birding,
Matt Williams
Midvale, UT