I'm just now back from my morning dash through the Lake Hills Greenbelt
(LHG), Bellevue, and ~25 Common Redpolls were in the same birches as
yesterday at the trail fork, SE side of Larsen Lake at 0825. Onward and clockwise
around Larsen Lake, I found ~28-30 Redpolls in that lone tall birch and
original location NE of Larsen Lake at 0845. Two flocks? By the time I got
to the SE corner and birches there again at 0900, no redpolls, so I think
it's one flock moving back and forth between the two spots. The suspect
female HOARY REDPOLL was also present when seen at the NE location. See
previous posts for best quick & easy driving/parking directions to both spots.

The Redpolls were a little more animated and flighty this morning, feeding,
then out making short sorties for a few seconds then coming right back to
the upper parts of the birches and feeding again. In flight enmass, the
dry buzzy rattling calls they make is soft, softer and dryer than Pine
Siskins, and certainly MUCH softer than the 400-strong swarm of Pine Siskins seen
swirling around near the corner of 156th Ave SE and SE 16th St both
earlier and later during this morning's outing.

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA
Pterodroma AT aol.com