Pretty neat camouflage

These small Common Redpolls are quite difficult to see when they are on the ground amongst the grasses and stubble. A highly cropped capture, but I rarely see these birds except when they are in a large, flying group, so wanted to add this shot to my Birds of Alberta set. Taken yesterday, when three of us were on the annual Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Christmas Bird Count. As usual, I come home mainly with photos of cats, dogs and horses, and maybe just one or two birds if I'm very lucky : ) Information below is really to jog my memory when next Christmas comes around : )

Our area covered everything in the Count circle E of Hwy 22; also some land W of #22 on Range Rds 4.04 and 4.05, N of Twp Rd 29.00 to N edge of circle, until informed by a landowner that three other participants were already covering the area.

0805-1445, 28 Dec 2011. Clear, calm in am, SW winds gusting to 40kpm in pm. -10 to 15 degrees C. Sunrise 0840.

Party km by car-97.5; Party km on foot-3; Party hours by car- 5hr 30mins; Party hrs on foot- 1hr 10mins. Up to 10 inches snow cover; all streams frozen.

Rough-legged Hawk-2; Rock Pigeon 11; Great Horned Owl-1; Downy Woodpecker-2; Northern Shrike-1; Black-billed Magpie-32; Common Raven-56; Black-capped Chickadee-34; Boreal Chickadee-2; Red-breasted Nuthatch-1; White-breasted Nuthatch-1; Am. Tree Sparrow-3; White-winged Crossbill-6; Common Redpoll-41; House Sparrow-74: 15 species. Low number is ALARMING. We have formerly seen as many as 18 species at the F. Myra's place: today only 3 species of 9 individuals.

Coyote-1; Red Squirrel-1; Mule Deer-14; White-tailed Deer-7.