Cassin’s Finch sings!

Posted on: March 17, 2009 | Sporadic Bird | Comments Off | Print Article | Rate Post:

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March 17, 2009 Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Seward, Alaska Sporadic Bird Report

Sunrise 8:07 am, sunset 8:06 pm, length of day 11 hours, 59 minutes; tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 31 seconds longer. Just about at Spring Equinox!!
Weather: Calm this morning after days of fierce winds blasting from the north, temperatures in the mid-20s. Six to eight inches of new snow has covered previously bare patches bringing the birds back to the feeders. Keep ‘em full! More snow, cold, and wind is forecast.

This morning, just before the sun peeked over the mountains at 9 am, I heard a vaguely familiar sweet song. I managed to track it down to a FOX SPARROW singing merrily from a snow-covered willow branch. The dialect was not from Seward; he’s on his way home somewhere north. Beneath the willow, a pair of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS rummaged through fallen spruce cones, extracting tiny seeds for breakfast with their remarkable bills. I wonder if the abundant cones at the tree tops have released their seeds, making the birds seek food on squirrel cached or fallen cones?

Sitting in the middle of an ancient Mt Ash tree, I tracked down another songster. Imagine my surprise to find the female CASSIN’S FINCH singing away! This raises the question of whether this bird is really a female singing a less elaborate song than the male, as has been documented, or if she is a first year male? As I’ve never heard a breeding male sing, I have no idea. I managed to record the song, unfortunately accompanied by the unmelodic barking of the neighbor’s tone-deaf dog.

VARIED THRUSHES are also singing, revealing more than I thought were in this area.
I heard at least 4 birds. A ROBIN merely clucked before it flew off, its prospects for worms buried under the new snow. DARK-EYED JUNCOS sounded their tiny bell-ringing song. PINE GROSBEAKS sang sweetly; I watched a female sing a few days ago, much to my surprise! And from some cottonwoods nearby, I heard the creaking and whistling of the town RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. Spring is in the air!

Monday, March 16: GREAT-BLUE HERON reported flying from Fish Ditch on Fourth.
Ominous 4.3 earthquake jiggle at 5:13 pm from Redoubt volcano in Cook Inlet.

Saturday, March 14: At various feeders in town: GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, a red interior FOX SPARROW, a few RED CROSSBILLS and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, a few DOWNY and HAIRY WOODPECKERS. The PINE SISKIN and COMMON REDPOLL numbers are increasing as the birds migrate north; they are everywhere!

Separate group of about 20-25 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS still at Lowell Point. The female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD is reported to be hanging out with them, but hard to spot. Also saw CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES at Lowell Point.

Six BLACK SCOTERS, a raft of SURF SCOTERS, and one WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, a huge raft of BARROW’S GOLDENEYES mixed with COMMON GOLDENEYES, HARLEQUIN DUCKS, RED-BREASTED and COMMON MERGANSERS, HORNED GREBES, and PELAGIC CORMORANTS offshore from the boat basin across the bay. One GLAUCOUS GULL adult spotted off shore from Lowell Point Road. About 40 lazy MALLARDS lounged on ice at sewage lagoon.

A small group of about 25 GADWALL swam and fed in the shallows at the tidelands; I’ve seen them here since February, with MALLARDS.

Wednesday, March 11: GREAT BLUE HERON and one SNOW BUNTING at tidelands.

Tuesday, March 10: SHORT-EARED OWL and 30 SNOW BUNTINGS at tidelands. BROWN CREEPER on spruce tree at my house.

Thursday, March 5: A dozen GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES and 3 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS reported at feeder by high school.

Wednesday, March 4: One YELLOW-BILLED LOON off Lowell Point.

I would appreciate any information on the CASSIN’S FINCH’S singing. Is she a he?

Male Cassin’s finches (Carpodacus cassinii) sing long, complex songs that incorporate many elements mimicked from other species. Although one-year-old males (males in their first breeding season) are sexually competent and do breed, they sing a simpler song (fewer syllable types) than do males two or more years old (called after-second-year males). Females do occasionally sing, but with much less stereotypy and complexity than breeding males of any age.

Check out these fantastic action photos of ospreys feeding on rainbow trout:

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Sporadic Bird Report reporter
Seward, Alaska

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