Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Female Finches of the Vermilon River. A Post to World Bird Wednesday.

American Goldfinch


American Goldfinch


Rear view indicates she is a Common RedPoll

Lack of red bib indicates a female.

Shows red head patch and black around beak.
I really don't know if the goldfinch are females or males in winter plumage, but the RedPolls are females as they lack the red bib, and are not Hoary RedPolls as they lack the white back area. So perhaps it is a girl's night out at the Vermilon River. The RedPolls are finches also, but subarctic birds normally found in the tundra, which would be north of me. Every second year there is an irruption, and they migrate south along with the Hoary RedPolls and travel south even crossing the border into the US. They tend to mix with other finches, and in my area with Chickadees who know where the food is.

I have one problem with the naming of these gals. The word "common" has changed from just the opposite of rare to have connotations of cheap. The error is further compounded because the other RedPolls are known as Hoary RedPolls, not Rare Redpolls. These little gals are anything, but common in the cheap sense; so, henceforth in the Vermilon River District they will be known as "Northern RedPolls" and Hoary Redpolls.

BREAKING NEWS..... The partially right honourable Stephen Harper, the minority P.M. of Canada has announced that he will begin his Law and Order crackdown with the Redpolls who are illegally crossing the border. In this endeavour he will be aided by none other than his Minister of State, that poor flawed ex-cop, Julian Fantino, who has been followed by scandal and corruption where ever he goes. With Fantino it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys.We're just hoping to pick up a new uniform for Fantino from a deposed middle East dictator, so let us know if there is one available cheap.

To all US citizens, Stevie wanted you to know that he will compensate for out of pocket bird seed expenses. Just send your invoices to the nearest Canadian Legation, Embassy or directly to the Office of the partially right honourable, Stephen Harper, Ottawa, Canada.

A post to WBW @ http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/

62 comments:

  1. Whatever you call them, they are cute. just look at the second shot of the goldfinch giving you that pin-up girl over-shoulder come hither look.Is that common or what?

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  2. Ha Ha, Arija. That's a unique not common come hither look!!

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  3. Great post Gary. I'm still laughing about your politicians. And I thought we had a bunch of losers in our congress!

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  4. Gay if you have emu in Ontario, they must have escaped from a zoo and I hardly think they would survive your winters in the wild. They are native only to Australia.

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  5. Cornell shows that the Common Redpoll can irrupt in this area but I haven't seen any this year. Pity, because they're a cute little bird and I'd love to see one.

    Strangely, I find it comforting that your politicians seem to be as big fools as ours. It's good to know we're not alone.

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  6. I think politicians the world over are all fools lol

    The birds, however, are just beautiful the world over.
    Great series Gary.

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  7. Love these shots. And politics? I abstain!

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  8. Hi Larry. No you're not alone re: polticians.

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  9. Arija. Emu's were brought into S. Ontario as an alternative to turkeys for Thanksgiving because apparently they have more meat. Remember Canada is second to Russia in land mass and has many climates.That part of Ontario has a climate that is moderated by Lake Ontario, part of an inland chain of lakes or seas. Thanksgiving in Canada is the equivalent of the US thanksgiving; apparently the puritans made it this far north. Only the date is different and Walmart is attempting to alter that now.Hope that answers your query.

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  10. Great shots of those lovely birds, did you see the post of my Red Poll????? at first I made the mistake of calling it a Purple Finch....I soon corrected that!!!!! Well it looks like March is coming in Like a Lamb....a bit colder tomorrow evening but no storms predicted....I'm headed through my favorite Park this weekend, so hopefully I will find some interesting subject matter to shoot as I drive through!!!!!

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  11. Hi Louise. I was thinking we could do a trade on polticians. Sort of like a monopoly game in reverse. You're penalized for having them. Here's a start-I'll give you two Northern RedPolls for a month and you take Slow Steve and Julie "Big Bubba" for a year. Let me know.

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  12. Hi Texwisgirl. No abstaining now!!

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  13. Hi Pictures. I went and looked on your site.

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  14. The RedPolls make it a very tempting offer, Gary, but I think I'll have to decline. Though, it would be tempting if you would, in return, take Sarah Palin and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for that same time period.

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  15. Beautiful images and an amusing post Gary. Politics and watching lovely little birds are poles apart.

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  16. Gary, what a hoot, emus for thanksgiving? I'd like to see a roast emu at any thanksgiving table, the bird is 1.5m tall, that would have to be some table! I know Lake Ontario is pretty big but what I recall of Kingston, there was still plenty of snow there in winter. I still think they would have a tough time surviving your climate in the wild. Farming is a different matter since they would be fed and sheltered.
    I haven't eaten emu but ostrich is good eating. We had both ostrich and camel in China.

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  17. Not so far apart, Andrew. I know where to put Sarah and Scott. I just have to get the RedPolls to agree.

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  18. I know Arija the whole idea sounded weird, but they are great birds to look at. Just the vision of the Pilgrim fathers and an Emu reduces me to hysterics.All this while we watch the bowl games.

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  19. Louise I have just the place. Sara Paulin can be president of Milnet, an abandoned mining town, with no electricity or phones, cell or otherwise.We'll supply a compass and a big red button. The compass will let her know who she is nuking this week, the Russians or the Canadians. Scott can be president of Moose Mountain, not that far away, and it is just as isolated, and has no budget shortfall. The animals and birds will just love his approach of laissez-faire, possibly while they eat him.Is it a deal?

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  20. Great photos of all the little birds. I wonder at all the birds that have "common" tacked on to their names. The ones I know down here are not common at all!

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  21. Yes I think in the 19th century it did not have negative inplications.

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  22. Lovely birds, the best of them is the last, what a beauty. Well your PM, yes those could him vote for him.............

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  23. She's just a beauty isn't she Bob? And she's as tough as nails as she operates in a hostile climate.

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  24. Thanks for cheering me up with your tongue-in-cheek post, Gary!! Love your Redpoll ladies, not so common after all.

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  25. Done deal! We'll put Stephen Harper in as Mayor of Nogales, Arizona, where he can worry all he wants about the Mexican/American border, and I think that Julian Fantino would make a wonderful police chief of Centralia, PA, where the earth under his feet would be continually on fire. When can I expect to see those RedPolls?

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  26. They are so beautiful and your photos are superb!

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  27. Thanks Joo and those photos of yours are great too.

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  28. The male and female RedPolls are on their way. They said they'd kick Steve's and Bubba's posteriors all the way there, and kick Scott's and Sara's posteriors all the way back. Don't expect to hear from your politico's any more. They may nuke each other or their constituents may eat them. The RedPolls like their sunflower seeds on the top of the snow not in feeders.

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  29. Just keep the faith Hilke and let us know from time to time what's going on.

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  30. LOL SO the Illegals are on their way back home now and all is well along the border once again..
    Love the photos and the humor is welcomed and enjoyed!!

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  31. Lovely to see your Goldfinches. They behave (if I remember correctly) similarly to ours, but look quite different!

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  32. You are in rare form Gary! I figure common names are there for us to change if we want and I hardily concur with your name change. If one or more of these little wonders does make it to Michigan I may rename it the Mid-western Red poll and sign him up for unemployment.

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  33. Just a PS, emus were being farmed here too for a while some 10-15 years ago and a pair could set one back up to $40,000.00!!! on top of that you had to build 6' high very strong fences. The meat never caught on so the whole exercise was a waste of time.

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  34. Beautiful photos of birds I love to watch. We are lacking Redpolls this year that we have had in the past. Housefinch and American Goldfinch are the most abundant here.

    I love the post.

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  35. Love the photos of these little birds and enjoyed your humorous narrative!

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  36. Great post, Gary. You got some nice photos of these gals!

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  37. Those Goldfinch photos are very nice!
    I thinks it's important that politicians take up that huge topic of cross boarder birdseed stealing ;-)

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  38. Northern RedPoll works for me since we don't have them at all because the Ozarks are too far south. Nice shots!

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  39. Hi Sondra. I think they just left before Homeland Security got wind of them.

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  40. Thanks Jeremy. I think the Goldfinches are alike , not sure about the RedPolls as they're from the far North.

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  41. Hi Springman. Be careful I understand Homeland Security is on the trail of these guys.

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  42. The fences are just what I saw them in, Arija.

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  43. Thanks for the visit Bill and the kind words.

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  44. Thanks BRC for the kind words.

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  45. Hi Dreamfalcon. I know the whole cross border birdseed market is the next examination.

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  46. Hi Marvin. Careful, I think these guys go where the food is.

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  47. LOL We've had one American Goldfinch at the feeders. Haven't seen him/her lately. Have you? LOL

    Your pictures and content are wonderful as always!

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  48. I am dying with laughter here! You all are so funny!!
    Send some redpolls here to Pa.,haven`t seen any yet this year,phyllis

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  49. great shots of those "shy" ladies. :)

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  50. You crack me up!! Great photos, and good I.D. tips. They really are cracking down on crossing the border, but they are hounding the good guys and the questionables are still getting through! ~karen

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  51. Wonderful post and photos! I love cute goldies and the redpolls. I would love to see some redpolls at my feeders.

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  52. Funny Gary. Very funny. I think first year not-so-common-northern-not-hoary redpolls also lack the pink bib in males. No?

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  53. Hi phylliso. I can't send any your way. Homeland Security is really upset, and rightly so these guys just cross as if the border didn't exist.

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  54. It's OK. Stevie and Julie are going to make everything work. Julie is going to wiretap these pesky little creatures.

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  55. I don't know if they come that way. But Homeland Security is tracking them now. They're the guys and gals with no red patch and no wings,eileeninmd.

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  56. Geeze Robin not pink. You know that will throw the republicans into a frenzy of name calling. Commie, socialist, etc are just a few, and these guys are in trouble already with just about everybody. A juvie would be a Northern RedPoll without a red bib, until he's old enough to have one, or A juvie Hoary RedPoll without a red bib ....

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  57. I appreciate the tips on how to ID the two different types of RedPolls....just in case they enter my state border.:-D)

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  58. Hi Jean. Just remember the guys and gals without the wings and red patches, but with the guns and badges are Homeland Security and the Border Patrol.

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