Ryerson Redpolls!

  So this morning I got up and checked my IBET email, as is my usual routine in the morning while I eat my breakfast at 5am. Usually there is nothing real exciting because not too many people post from Lake County. This morning, however, there was a gift. My birding friend, Al Stokie, had gotten a message from Nan Buckhardt, who lives at Ryerson Conservation Area, that she had 2 Common Redpolls at her feeders yesterday. I've been trying to get that bird for the past 3 weeks with no luck, so this was big.
  I headed out there around 7 and tried to call in a Barred Owl, which I whiffed on for the 2nd time this week. As I was walking back to the parking lot, I heard the distinct and repeated raspy "chit-chit" flight call of, what I can only think would be, a Red Crossbill. There is really nothing for them at Ryerson, though, so I brushed it off and continued to the parking lot. I got in my car and drove down the exit road toward Nan's House. The feeder setup is easily viewed from the road, so I stopped the car and quickly glassed the feeders. Bingo! 1 COMMON REDPOLL (#80) was feeding on the thistle sock with some goldfinches. I got my scope on it to get a better look and then went around the back to see if I could get a photo.

Nothing artsy, but you can see the bird pretty well. That's a great bird for Lake County! I eventually was able to see a 2nd bird for a
2-redpoll morning!
  I figured I would stay out of the 35mph winds as much as possible, so I checked the feeders at Heller Nature Center. This was a little disappointing as their feeders are mostly empty and nothing out of the ordinary was present.
  I decided I would make a couple of lakefront stops and deal with the wind to see if any gulls or divers were around. At LF Beach the hills block the wind well so it wasn't windy at all, really. The only birds for the most part were Red-breasted Mergansers, though. I then headed to NPM to check for gulls. There were none. The south docks have some ice, but there were no birds. The rest of the yacht club is open water and the only gulls I could find were either out on the lake or flying overhead. The wind is ferocious here so I didn't stay long.
  I finished the morning with a stop at birding pal, Jim Solum's house for my first good looks at 2 PINE SISKINS. Apparently Jim has had up to 10 at his feeders this winter.

  So I had a couple of nice finches today with the help of my birding compadres. It's always better when victories are shared with others. Thanks, men!