[cobirds] Happy to be crossing paths with Red Crossbills again

After hardly finding any Red Crossbills at all over the past 12+ months, there seems to be a shift going on, with crossbills appearing now before my ears and eyes. I've had a number of encounters over the past several days. For example, I had Red Crossbills at 7 places on a survey on July 1 up Old Squaw Pass Road and along the road up to Mt Evans peak in Clear Creek County. These were both Type 2 and Type 5 Red Crossbills, and I was excited to see that there is a new cone crop ripening up there for bristlecone pine, lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce. The Type 2 birds were clearly associated with the bristlecone pines, such as a flock in the old bristlecone stand near the Mt Goliath Natural Area. I did not see any foraging, and the cones were not ripe, but the crossbills were hanging there. I'd suggest hanging around near bristlecones if you are up there is a good way to find some crossbills. Some Type 5 birds seemed to be engaged in courtship near Squaw Pass. 

Down at my Ken Caryl Valley home in Jefferson County I've had 5 detections of Red Crossbill (Type 2) in just three days July 5-7. All were passing over as if on the move, not foraging locally. This is a record-paced frequency for noting crossbills near my home, where I have had a number of detections but they are sporadic and infrequent. Now I feel I must be ready to record flight calls at any moment when I step out.. 

David Suddjian

Ken Caryl Valley

Littleton, CO

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