This morning on the Hike/Bike Trail (just past the second entrance to the
Pond Loop Trail) I heard an unfamiliar call from the treetops. (At the risk
of sounding cocky, a rarely hear completely unfamiliar vocalizations at
Huntley, particularly in the winter, so this really caught my attention.) A
few repeated notes, something like a house sparrow, but much louder and more
resonant: two calls several times, then four calls, maybe a half second
between notes. It took me a minute to find the tree with the bird. There
were two birds in the top of a sweetgum. Just as I saw them, they took off,
and flew over the treetops in the direction of the Coast Guard wetland, with
no suggestion that they were going to stop. Unfortunately, I never got a
good a good look. I can't say that they were obviously big and chunky
enough to be grosbeaks; my impression was that they were bigger and stockier
than goldfinches, with a much more direct flight, and a stubby tail. In
flight, they reminded me somewhat of waxwings. They did not call in flight.
Because of the light, I have absolutely no impression of color or plumage
pattern. I will say that I didn't notice big white wing panels like male
grosbeaks apparently have, but it is possible that the view wasn't even good
enough for that, or they were females.
My immediate thought on hearing a completely unfamiliar call from the
treetops was some funky northern finch (the only one of which I am familiar
with being siskins). I originally thought the call was coming from an
adjacent pine (I was thinking crossbill, given the reports recently). Of
course, reviewing vocalizations once I got home, none of the other winter
finches have a call anything like what I heard (and a crossbill probably
wouldn't be working on sweetgum balls (although I didn't observe the birds
long enough to determine that the birds were actively feeding).
I've only seen a grosbeak once before, out west, perched, close by at eye
level, and not vocalizing, so I have no helpful experience. However, by
process of elimination, and given the fact that there have been some reports
of grosbeaks in Northern Virginia, my conclusion is that they were
grosbeaks. I would welcome any alternative suggestions.
Ben Jesup
Alexandria
