ML647357272

Observation details

Observed one lone beautiful male! We could hear other red crossbills calling in the distance. There were mature unopened cones on the surrounding trees for several species of pines. The crossbill that we encountered in the photograph tried to chew or possibly feed on the bud pictured in these images. My friend who is a long-term botanist said that the tree is a young hickory. the bird never actually opened or ate the bud while we were watching. We heard other red crossbills calling that same morning about a mile east along the same park road but never saw them. They appeared to be a little distant from where we were standing.