This morning I spent a couple of hours in my blind (or hide) doing a little photography at my drip. I didn't really notice the incredible differences in plumage of the Red Crossbills that were coming around until much later when I was going through the photos. Sure I noticed some differences but, other than the one that was clearly in full juvenile plumage (which, when it first flew in, I thought was "just another" Cassin's Finch until I saw the bill), the rest seemed subtle through the tiny viewfinder. I knew, of course, that there were males and females, and that some were probably immatures. But it is clear to me now that, in a matter of 2 hours, I photographed 9 different Red Crossbills in various plumages: male and female, juvenile to adult and, in that mix, some obviously different stages of transition from juvenile to immature to adult.
Working left to right, top to bottom, my best guesses are: 1.) immature male, 2.) immature female, 3.) adult (sub-adult?) male, 4.) adult male, 5.) sub-adult male, 6.) juvenile, 7.) immature male, 8.) immature female, 9.) adult female.
All in all, I find it kind of amazing. I would never have guessed I'd get this all in one session of shooting, if even in a lifetime!
(clicking on a thumbnail will open a larger version of each image in a pop-up window)
You're right, an amazing collection of photos of this species in about as many plumage possibilities as there are. I think the key here is being in the right place, at the right time, and even more importantly, with the right equipment to capture the moment. I remember being at Lake Woodruff one day and coming up on a Great Blue Heron trying to swallow a cyrenia. This thing was nearly 2 feet long and looked like a cross between a cat fish and a salamander. It must have weighed 2 1/2 to 3 pounds. It took the heron a full 30 minutes to get that big bastard down. If I'd had your camera, or one something like it, I'd now have the images somewhere besides burned in my brain. Of course, getting those images might seem just a case of good luck. But the good luck more often happens to the person willing to spend the time sitting in the blind waiting for that luck to strike.
Sweet shots, Kevin. It's funny how relative rarity in a bird is; I can't name many people who would say "just another" Cassin's Finch!
LOL! Funny because they are, by far, the number 1 species that visit the drip. They are the first to arrive everyday, in and out much of the day, and there are times when there will be 7 or 8 present. I see them a lot.