Large Number of Redpolls (Acanthis)

Observation by Rick Thoman:

We did not see any redpolls until around New Years Day, but since then they have been very numerous, especially compared to 2018.

Comments from LEO Editors:

In a recent Anchorage news article, "Invasion of redpolls sends seeds flying" science writer Ned Rozell writes that Redpoll sightings fluctuate in Alaska from year to year. In the article, botanist Jan Dawe comments that birch trees produced a large seed crop this year which provide an energy rich food source for the small birds. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Redpoll winter diet consists primarily of birch and alder seeds.