[texbirds] Re: Cassin's Finch in TX
- From: Clay Taylor <Clay.Taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Mary Beth Stowe <mbstowe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "robertjbecker@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <robertjbecker@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "'texbirds'" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 19:41:34 -0500
MBS - thanks! Does Cassin's have as deeply-notched tail as Purple? I got
off my butt and checked Sibley, and he does not compare tail notches, which is
always a great way to separate Purple from House. He does note the different
flight calls.
For those of you that have never birded with Mary Beth, her hearing acuity and
knowledge of bird sounds is "expert level", so that is a great piece of
information.
So, now when you see a plump finch flying by, listen for Captain Hook's Croc or
the Dukes of Hazard!
Clay Taylor
TOS Life Member
Calallen (Corpus Christi), TX
Clay.taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Beth Stowe [mailto:mbstowe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2014 6:33 PM
To: Clay Taylor; robertjbecker@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; 'texbirds'
Subject: RE: [texbirds] Re: Cassin's Finch in TX
Hi, Clay (and all)!
The most distinctive flight call I remember from the mountains of California
and elsewhere was an almost Cockatiel-like "WHEEE-oo!"
Mary Beth Stowe
McAllen, TX
miriameaglemon.com
-----Original Message-----
From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Clay Taylor
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2014 6:29 PM
To: robertjbecker@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; texbirds
Subject: [texbirds] Re: Cassin's Finch in TX
Hi all -
Given that there are now multiple sightings in TX, it might not be a bad idea
to scrutinize ALL "Purple Finches" currently being seen in TX,
regardless of where you are. Hey, Acorn Woodpecker on the Bolivar
Peninsula? Tree Sparrow at Sabine Pass? Maybe those Houston-area PUFIs
are really Cassin's!
While I have seen Cassin's Finches in the Western US on about 7 or 8 different
occasions, I do not remember ever seeing them in the company of
and made a direct comparison to Purple Finches. Having grown up in the
Northeast, I am VERY familiar with Purple, as the novice birders were
forever trying to turn House into Purple.
What I do not know is whether the flight vocalizations differ between
Cassin's and Purple. Purple is instantly identifiable in flight, as they
make a constant "tick....tick....tick" call. I will always remember a
birder characterizing them as "the flying clock", and I used to joke that
Captain Hook hated Purple finches.
So, does anybody have a comment on Cassin's Finch flight vocalization - like
Purple, different from Purple, or do they fly silently like Pine Grosbeaks?
You KNOW that I will be listening in my yard tomorrow morning.
Clay Taylor
TOS Life Member
Calallen (Corpus Christi), TX
Clay.taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Robert Becker
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2014 5:29 PM
To: texbirds
Subject: [texbirds] More on Cassin's Finch
I found the Cassin's Finch at 1:45 p.m. today at Resaca de la Palma State Park.
Actually, I didn't have to "find" it. It flew in to the feeders in back of the
park headquarters just after I got there and proceeded to chow down on seed on
the ground with some Inca and Common Ground Doves. It stayed in sight for about
10 minutes. Thank you Sherry and Dick Wilson and Mary Beth Stowe for their
initial reports of this bird on Sunday.
The bird is shy, and is being seen sporadically. Early mornings may be best,
when Sherry puts out the bird seed at 8-8:15 a.m. or so.
A photo of the finch is here, along with a few others from Resaca and Palo Alto
yesterday and today:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/13451078@N03/sets/72157649012672712/
Bob Becker
Rancho Viejo.
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