For the Springfield CBC today, my dad and I joined Marianne and (later) 
Mike Walsh for the Springfield CBC today ("Springfield West" section, 
Vermont side of Connecticut River.

With over 40 species on our section, it was a very productive day. Nice 
looks at a Winter Wren before 8:30 was soon overshadowed by a female 
Hoary Redpoll mixed in with a very large (~200) flock of Common. After 
wading through hundreds of other redpolls in the past few days I was 
happy to find one standing out as pale and with a noticeably shorter 
bill. The undertail coverts were less streaked than any other I saw in 
the flock today, but there were a few dashes indicating a female and/or 
a younger bird. This was far and away the highlight until around 3:30, 
in a snow squall, when Mike spotted a raptor perched along Route 5. The 
tawny nape stood out even at a distance, raising our pulses, and in 
flight white was seen in the primaries and in the tail, likely a second 
year. Both birds were in Southern Windsor County, with locations from 
the ebird list below.

Spencer and Doug Hardy
Norwich, VT

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) (1)
- On Route 5, along treeline south of Bow Baptist Church, west side of field
- Checklist: <http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12306733>

Hoary Redpoll (Acanthis hornemanni) (1)
- Just north of intersection of Putnam Road with Route 5; in weedy field 
and pumpkin patch
- Checklist: <http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12306733>