Common Redpolls

[weston smith]

I just came back into cell service from Lost Creek Dam were I saw at least two but possibly a dozen or more Common Redpolls. When I pulled into the parking area at the dam I saw a Northern Shrike flush about a dozen small siskin sized birds out of sagebrush north of the parking area at dam. Two of these birds landed in top of a juniper in same area which I was able to see were redpolls. I spent next 30 minutes trying to get a decent photo which I will post. Pair was feeding on sagebrush seeds and catkins of a couple River Birch in the middle of the patch on junipers just north of restrooms at dam. Ice fisherman and snowmobilers have made a trail down to reservoir through this area. Looking under the birch there were plenty of seed peices. It snowed yesterday so the birds may have been in there yesterday or even longer