Common Redpolls

These pretty little birds arrive in "predictably unpredictable" numbers each winter. I haven't been seeing much of them, but did get a chance to photograph several at a feeder on a farm north-east of the city, on the way to the Drumheller area. They are almost always focussed on eating, as they are "in constant danger of running out of fuel and dying from hypothermia." Male and female have the red cap, and the males often have a pinkish breast. Had to heavily crop this photo, but thought these two birds were very cute. The temperature was at -21C for part of the day, soaring to a balmy -4c by the time we returned to the city, after a long day's Christmas Bird Count in the Drumheller area.