On Cinco de Mayo (May 5 to you non-Texans) I was sitting in the yard in good spirits after just having revived my watercourse pump the previous day. It was a perfect day for birding photography, overcast with a slight breeze. I was anticipating warbler visits as I think I had had at least one each of the previous few days. There would be none on this day but I became aware of a brightly-colored red bird arriving in our golden chain tree. I could not get a good look at the bird but assumed that it was a male House finch. My attention was drawn to it again when it flew to the large madrone staging stick at the head of the pond. I again couldn’t get a good look at the bird… it had landed behind a rather large portion of the staging stick. However the very bright color of the bird induced me to view it through my telephoto lens, and when I did I realized immediately that it was a male Red crossbill. We had visits from a few crossbills (all but one females and juveniles) a couple of months previously but I hadn’t seen any crossbills during the interim. 

I began taking ‘record’ shots (unremarkable photos that would confirm my sighting) but since the crossbill was only about four feet above the watercourse I fully and justifiably expected the bird to emerge from behind the offending stick and/or descend to the watercourse where I would acquire excellent photos!  After a couple of minutes of peeking from behind the stick the bird flew directly out of the yard and towards birding neighbors who have better habitat!  I disappointedly watched the bird’s erratic flight path for about 100 yards before it disappeared from view. The episode was a huge disappointment but now the wait/watch is on!  

“Record” photos of the 2021 Cinco de Mayo Red crossbill…