Observers: Justin Hite
Email: justinhiteatgmaildotcom
Date: 09/18/2008
Time: 04:56 PM -0400
This morning I walked from the Narrows to the Ford on Rush Creek. A female-plumage American Redstart was in the willows just upstream of the main channel's junction with Channel 10 (I love redstarts). Also, I was surprised to hear a singing Carpodacus Finch whose song I wasn't familiar with...it didn't have those single questioning notes of a House Finch nor any of the harshish broken quality of a Cassin's Finch. I finally got some looks at it, though from relatively far away, and think it was a male Purple Finch. Strong eyebrow within the all-rosy head, bluntish bill, and the blurry flank streaks. Later I listened to recordings of CAFI and PUFI, comparing them with a short recording I took of the singing bird, and am pretty sure it was a Purple. Also, two Juniper Titmice, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, at least 80 Orange-crowned Warblers, a flock of 15 White-throated Swifts, a Belted Kingfisher, and zero Empidonax.
