Chirps and Cheeps

On this beautiful fall day, I decided to take a walk through one of my favorite parts of the Erie County Forest.  I had no quest in mind - just a desire to enjoy the serenity of the woods and any bird life I might see.

I was a little disappointed to see a gathering of ROTC folks at the main pavilion.  And sure enough, I ran into several young cadets on quests to find geo-cached objects for a training drill.  They were plowing through the woods and I feared they'd chase all the wildlife away.

However, after a pleasant encounter with one young cadet, I heard some odd finch-like chatter - birds were still around!  Both the cadet and I had just passed by the spot where the calls were coming from - and I briefly considered not going back there.  I'm glad I did!

When I found the source of the calls, I was looking straight at a whole group of Red Crossbills!  I couldn't believe it!  They were at eye level feeding on something in some thorn bushes as well as in some weeds just below next to a little creek.  Their chattering "jip jip" calls were fun to hear and they didn't seem to pay me any attention at all, even though I was within 20 feet of them.  Lighting was challenging but I took as many photos as I could, wanting to document this cool sighting, my first in Erie County.

Soon, the little flock took off and headed up and over the treeline where I lost them.  Thankfully, I'll be able to remember this special encounter by my photos!