Hoary redpollYesterday, after not seeing Pretty Girl for nearly three days since she left at 10:45 PM on January 25, we had an encouraging sight. The bobcat left up the driveway at 5:10 PM. Four and a quarter hours later, Pretty Girl arrived at 9:25 PM. Wary at first, she became less and less wary as she filled up on chicken and was seen here repeatedly until she retired into the garage car port at 1:05 AM today. But she continues to baffle us. Is she really back? Now, at 7:02 PM, nearly 18 hours later, she has not reappeared. (see note below)
A sighting today of another nature was our first sighting this winter of a hoary redpoll, this lighter colored redpoll lives farther north than the common redpoll. It breeds north of the arctic tree line, while commons breed in subarctic forests and tundra scrub.
 Hoary redpoll - from 2017 |
 Common redpoll for comparison |
Hoaries are lighter and grayer than the brown-streaked commons, and hoaries have an unstreaked white portion of the rump patch, while common redpolls have strongly brown-streaked rump patches.
Note: Pretty Girl visited the research cabin shortly after Dr. Rogers sent the update and left for home.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center