Just came in from the feeders delighted at a close-up visit of two
female white-winged crossbills that have been around for a few days.
When they left I fixed up the feeders and tried out my recently acquired
Audobon bird call, and just stood there twittering away with it for a
while.

Suddenly out of nowhere, a flock of SEVEN birds landed in a small tree
about 12 feet away. I kept twittering this thing slowly and finally the
lone female of the group ventured nearer, then closer still, and
eventually landed on the Niger tube feeder about two feet from my face.
Great stuff! She was soon followed by her more timid male counterparts.
To my ears, their song was a cross between a songbird and Pine Siskin.
BUT I don't know what they are and they aren't in my Ontario birdbook.
It was suggested folks on this list might be able to help me identify
these guys:

DESCRIPTION:
- They were about the size of a Pine Siskin;
- Back similar in colour and markings to a sparrow. (No, they weren't
Chipping or American Tree sparrows).
- Male and female had thin white wing bars.
- Male had a bright blood-red, almost triangular patch, on the top of
the head, and a pronounced yellow beak. Beak was about the size and
shape of a chickadee...maybe a bit more pointed, but less pointed than a
Siskin.
- Female had a brownish-yellow coloured beak, and darker brownish-yellow
top of head, and some yellow in the wings not seen in the male.
- BOTH had a primarily white breast with pronounced mottled golden brown
on the sides and upper chest, something like a Veery.
- The male blood-red head patch was a really deep red colour, very
pronounced, very bright.... his most distinguishing feature.
- Male had white in the wings while female had a bit of yellow
visible... which seemed a bit strange.
- They ate Niger seed from a tube feeder, with lots of other seed types
around in feeders and freshly placed on ground.
- Seemed comfortable with the Niger feeder and feeding with me standing
beside them, and chickadees feeding around them.
- Behaviour at the feeder resembled Pine Siskins. All seven were
feeding at once on the Niger feeder without squabbling.

I wish Santa would hurry up with the birdbook I asked him to bring me
this year... I have been a very good boy.... honest! I have never seen
these birds here in the 15 yrs I have lived here. Help!

-- Paul, Confused but delighted in Northern Ontario
<pgparlee at onlink.net>