Highlights so far this morning (December 11) here in Norwich village  
included 1) a third sighting  for this season of a brightly marked  
male Red-bellied Woodpecker, and 2) a flock of about ten White-winged  
Crossbills.

The Red-bellied again visited the backyard feeding area and was  
foraging on the ground where black oil sunflower seed and finely  
cracked corn had been scattered. This third sighting of a male Red- 
bellied in this neighborhood in recent weeks strengthens the case for  
this bird being a resident in the vicinity rather than a transient.  
Recent records of female Red-bellied Woodpeckers from well separated  
locations in nearby New Hampshire (including one photographed at Lyme  
Center in the latter half of November), considered together with the  
male in Norwich, raise the possibility that this species is on its way  
to becoming more common in the Upper Valley in accord with the general  
northward expansion of its range in New England.

The White-winged Crossbills of this morning were calling conspicuously  
and landed in the top of a tall conifer along Elm Street but remained  
only a short time before flying off. My previous sightings of White- 
winged Crossbills in Norwich were all back in the 1990s with the last  
of those being over 10 years ago, on March 3, 1998.

As a wishful thought, it would be very nice if both these species  
could be found again in this vicinity during the upcoming Christmas  
Bird Count to be held on New Year's Day.

George

George Clark
Norwich, VT

****************************************************************
To post messages, send e-mail to:  [log in to unmask]
Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages.
To contact the list owner:  [log in to unmask]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Web based archives and subscription management are available at:
http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html
****************************************************************