ML647365991

Observation details

CIRCUMSTANCES: Day 3 for this rare northern visitor, originally found by Jeff McCoy Sat 12/20. Thank you to Jeff, and thank you to all the other birders who refound it and shared location information yesterday! That info helped us a lot today. We started at the parking area of the Apple Orchard Campground (40.7649917, -85.6324558) where Jeff had originally found the bird, and where it was last seen yesterday late afternoon. Then we searched the east side of the campground where Corey Wagner refound it yesterday morning (40.7660615, -85.6309484), then gradually continued west on the trail south of the campground, moving toward where it was refound yesterday early afternoon. As we got close to the early afternoon pin, we heard a pine grosbeak calling loudly. This was 8:45 AM. We followed the sound and had a great look at it calling from the top of a deciduous tree in a thicket - same exact location where Jeremiah Oden reported it yesterday at 1:20 pm - behind Horseman’s Campground site number 17, near the fallen tree across the trail (40.7655821, -85.6352969) It had a large juicy berry (honeysuckle or bittersweet) in its mouth. After a few minutes, it started calling more softly, then took a short flight east and perched, calling from the top of a large deciduous tree on the west side of the Apple Orchard Campground (40.7654104, -85.6335870). After only a minute or two it took a long flight south or southwest toward Lost Bridge Rd. We lost sight of it through the trees. We searched until 11:30ish without refinding. DESCRIPTION: a large finch the size of a robin, chunky body, thick stubby bill, and long tail. Dull greenish-yellow above, light grey below, solid grey no streaks. Two white wing bars. Call was like a house finch in quality, usually just two notes, sometimes three slurred notes.