ML20648321

Age and sex

Juvenile, Unknown sex - X

Observation details

**rare; hatch-year with one or two flecks of red on head; first noticed when it flew and gave short two-noted chatter which took me a minute to place; I spent 20 minutes enjoying this bird as it flew all around the extreme NW corner, occasionally crossing to Brook Farm tree line, but constantly stashing acorns and giving it bluebird-like chatter calls from the dead snags of the beaver swamp. It should be easily relocatable and may stay for a while (overwinter?) given its persistent caching of acorns here. A passing dog walker said she'd seen it here yesterday, although it is not clear that she really knew this species. First record for Millennium Park and one I'd always hoped for; second recent eBird record for Suffolk Co. following a December bird found by Sean Williams near the MFA in downtown. Many photos.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 40D

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

ISO

320

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

1529 pixels x 2035 pixels

Original file size

221.91 KB