Crossbill Traffic

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus...Shhhhh, it's only sleeping...

Red Fox Vulpes vulpes...scratch scratch scratch...

  This morning at the cemeteries was a slow one until the very end of my three-hour walk, when a single finch flew overhead, towards the north entrance. It was bulky and plain, and made a call I likened to shades of American Goldfinch mixed with the bass notes of a Star Wars blaster. Tsew tsew tsew! 
  Fifteen minutes later, in the pine trees near the north entrance (the direction the singleton had flown), I came on a group of at least a dozen chattering finches in the large pine trees that dominate that area. I got backlit but decent binocular views before they flew towards Mount Royal. They were unmistakably Red Crossbills. Whaaaaat? I would have loved a better look, as this was only my second brush with this irregular species. Next time, Red Crossbills, next time. *shakes fist at sky* 
 ♫ Crossbill traffiiiiiic...so hard to get views of you...♫

Mount-Royal Cemetery, (Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery), November 14, 2017
Merlin-(1 near Decelles entrance)
Hairy Woodpecker-(1)
Pileated Woodpecker-(1 heard from UdeM woods)
American Crow-5 (8)
Black-capped Chickadee-12+ (6)
White-breasted Nuthatch-2 (5)
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet-1 near the north entrance
Hermit Thrush-1 dead on Pine Hill Side
American Robin-2 overhead
Northern Cardinal-10 to 14, widespread and mobile in the eastern half of MRC
White-throated Sparrow-2 near the north entrance, 1 on Pine Hill Side
Dark-eyed Junco-10 (4)
American Goldfinch-4+ (3)
Red Crossbill-12+ in the pines in section H
+1 Red Fox scratched an itch then bow-yawned