Here today, gone tomorrow

I encountered probably the same flock of Common Redpolls feeding under the gray birches at the marsh this morning. The seeds from the birch catkins are a favourite of the redpolls, and by late winter they have all fallen to the ground. These tiny birds are never still and are easily startled, so getting a shot of one is a challenge. I don't expect to see them around much longer, as their breeding range is in Newfoundland and the far north.

More catkin capers

No ice left on the marsh this morning, but lots of rough water. A few buffleheads and ring-necked ducks were scattered about bobbing on the waves. High in a catkin-loaded gray birch alongside the trail was a flock of Common Redpolls busily feeding. They were a delight to watch, clinging to the slender, swaying branches as they plucked the seeds from the catkins.