From last Sunday... a nice warm sunny day starting spring season...

these guys are passing by (migrating) but are stuck in an area that has lots or spruce trees, that surrounds a Christmas tree farm... plenty of food around!
They are very uncommon in my area (south of Montreal).
Anyways, they seems to stay for a while since last week (probably until food get scarce).

They appeared somtimes at the top of the trees, otherwise they were hidden in the shadows of the branches. I saw some photographers using the flash extenders, event a ~20m distance. They told me it makes a difference, even at that distance.
Light was hard since it was a sunny day at noon
Photos almost 1:1 cropped

Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra]
Henryville, Québec, CANADA
2021.03.21

Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra] | Flickr

Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 250


Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra] | Flickr

Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 320


==============

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
Henryville, Québec, CANADA
2021.03.21

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucopte? | Flickr

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 250


Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucopte? | Flickr

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 200


Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucopte? | Flickr

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 200


Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucopte? | Flickr

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 200


Pentax K-5 II s + smc PENTAX-FA* 250-600mm F5.6 ED[IF] @ 600mm
(x-posted in the 300mm thread)

[PJ1]

That first image is the pick of them for me. Interesting little bird. I presume the cross bill evolved to deal with whatever it is they eat. Some kind of large hard seeds?

[Weevil]

That first image is the pick of them for me. Interesting little bird. I presume the cross bill evolved to deal with whatever it is they eat. Some kind of large hard seeds?

yeah! they eat mostly spruce cones seeds... but also some other buds of tree fruits... so they probably eveloved on the need to pry out the seeds on some hard cones...

[pete-tarmigan]

Bec-croisé bifascié is known as White-winged Crossbill in North America outside of Quebec. (AOS Checklist of North and Middle American Birds) It's known as Two-barred Crossbill in the United Kingdom.

---------- Post added 27th Mar 2021 at 13:56 ----------

That first image is the pick of them for me. Interesting little bird. I presume the cross bill evolved to deal with whatever it is they eat. Some kind of large hard seeds?

They use the crossed bill to pry apart the scales on pine and spruce cones, then use the tongue to extract the seed.

[Weevil]

ec-croisé bifascié is known as White-winged Crossbill in North America

Thanks for letting me know... I just searched in Wikipedia, I'll make further checks.... wikipedia is not always correct I admit.

[RICHARD L.]

Henryville ... sigh. I worked for the Ministry of Agriculture, restoring watercourses and I sank in clay while working on the Rivière-du-Sud. I lost my pair of rubber boots and had to be pulled out or I would still be there, 20 years later ... lol !

Regards

[rhanz]

From last Sunday... a nice warm sunny day starting spring season...

these guys are passing by (migrating) but are stuck in an area that has lots or spruce trees, that surrounds a Christmas tree farm... plenty of food around!
They are very uncommon in my area (south of Montreal).
Anyways, they seems to stay for a while since last week (probably until food get scarce).

They appeared somtimes at the top of the trees, otherwise they were hidden in the shadows of the branches. I saw some photographers using the flash extenders, event a ~20m distance. They told me it makes a difference, even at that distance.
Light was hard since it was a sunny day at noon
Photos almost 1:1 cropped

Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra]
Henryville, Québec, CANADA
2021.03.21

Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra] | Flickr

Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 250


Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra] | Flickr

Bec-croisé des sapins / Red Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 320


==============

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
Henryville, Québec, CANADA
2021.03.21

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucopte? | Flickr

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 250


Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucopte? | Flickr

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 200


Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucopte? | Flickr

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 200


Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucopte? | Flickr

Bec-croisé bifascié / Two-Barred Crossbill [Loxia leucoptera]
1/800, ƒ/6.3, ISO 200


Pentax K-5 II s + smc PENTAX-FA* 250-600mm F5.6 ED[IF] @ 600mm
(x-posted in the 300mm thread)

These are very nice sharp and well cropped I wish some of these birds would visit Florida thanks for showing them