Today has been a perfect birding day, and I intend to go back out in the woods before sunset. Why perfect? White-Winged Crossbills in the Bog. Normally I see these cute birds as they fly quickly overhead against a drab sky, but today fair skies returned after our winter storm. Winds had gusted over 40 mph each of the past two days … not good for friend or fowl. Thus, this morning was a nice return to the woods.

White-Winged Crossbills (Cornell Ornithology School Link) have a unique hooked beak which allows them to pry open pine cones to get at seeds which are impossible for other birds to access. If there is an ample supply of cones in the forest, these birds will nest and raise young in the middle of winter! Finally, they are a “Christmas bird” in terms of color!

I will have more posts about today’s birding, but the crossbills deserved their own mention. However, birding is perfect when …

• You watch a Great Gray Owl shortly after sunrise
• Two different chickadees land at separate times on your Norwegian flag stocking cap as you are watching both Pine Grosbeaks and Gray Jays.
• The Holiday gas station even has a small flock of Pine Grosbeaks eating in a small fruit tree (seen as I gassed up the car)
• Sunshine and light winds after 2+ days of a winter storm (I had cabin fever)