The Red Crossbill

Ginger Andrews • Feb 07, 2023

By: Ginger Andrews, MMA Field Ornithologist


This chubby irruptive winter finch doesn’t show up every year. They leave the boreal forest when their food—seeds of coniferous trees— fails in the north. So far this has been a great year to find them on Nantucket, with 127 tallied on the Christmas Bird Count. 


The first Red Crossbills seen on Nantucket, three in number, were noted on December 30, 1945. After a large irruption, they may stay to nest where food is abundant. If there is enough, they can breed in that spot year-round. According to the first Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas, it is possible that Red Crossbills nested in Madaket at least once between 1975-1980. But no locations, state-wide, were the same during 2007-2011 according to the Breeding Bird Atlas.


Females are greenish yellow; males a dull red. Their naturally twisted beaks are a perfect “cone-opener” allowing them to squeeze open pine or other cones for the delicious seeds within. They also eat spruce, hemlock and fir sees. But on Nantucket, this year, they seem to prefer the cones of the scrubby Japanese Black Pines found near Low Beach. 


They form loose flocks, moving quickly from place to place, as cones begin to open, chattering as they go. They may be discussing where the best eats are! But, there is even more to it than that; their preferences and vocalizations may be giving us new clues.


Red Crossbills are challenging ornithologists’ understanding of how and what separates one species or subspecies from another. They are still undergoing taxonomic revision, with as many as ten separate types—or species—possible. Birds in different flocks, with different, genetics, morphology, and ecological preferences use different calls and specialize in different foods. So, researchers and amateur birders are recording their calls to try and understand these nomadic wanderers. Stay tuned.



Photo by Trish Pastuszak

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Shards

By Jascin N. Leonardo FInger • 06 May, 2024
I have written of my love for sea glass and pottery shards in the past and the recent replacement of the sewer and water lines on Vestal Street created a small shard collection over the last month. Since the work required the asphalt to be completely removed (all twelve inches of it!) and the road to be dug up multiple times as they worked to remove pipe, relay new pipe, hook up the water meters, and install drainage and manhole covers, this resulted in the earth in the street being tossed about quite a bit. And, with that, came the shards! Some of these likely came from the sewer line (yes, yuck) but others came from being simply in the dirt of the road – which was not paved until 1946/1948. Pieces were likely tossed out at times, made to act as filler in holes, or simply tossed. So I found all sorts of pieces I will keep here at the Mitchell House. They included: a lovely piece with a red floral, many pieces of plates, glass, the top of a late nineteenth or early twentieth century (medicine) bottle, glass shards, a flattened spoon, a brass knob (found by a neighbor) some nails, a spike, pieces of a larger container or two based on the size and curve and coloring of the shards, and possibly a Wampanoag stone tool. One person’s trash is another one’s treasures! JNLF

Is That A Wrap?

22 Apr, 2024
Yes. Well, almost. After about a month of working – and some living (staff and or neighbors) – on Vestal Street with all the sewer and water replacement work, the paving happened today (April 17, 2024). This is the first “layer” – a three-inch binder coat. In the fall, once time has passed, they will return for the final one inch of the finish layer. Some of the other things along Vestal Street will also be repaired and updated between now and the final coat – and a bit after that. But we are very happy, after all these years to have a modern system of piping – and all new drainage we never had before! While the curator in me loved the old clay pipes, they were riddled with roots from the trees, holes, and in some places, collapsed, and the twelve inches of asphalt had to go. Vestal Street was only paved in about 1946/1948 – and has not been paved in maybe twenty years so that is a lot of asphalt in about fifty years! And with climate change and the increase in how much rain we get in these heavy rain events, all that water rushed down Vestal Street with nowhere to go – except our cellars. I am sure the neighbors are happy too! A thank you to the Town of Nantucket’s Sewer Department, especially David Gray (who may regret giving me his cellphone number forever), N&M Excavating and Utilities (Dean, we appreciate you being so nice when we had too many questions), Victor-Brandon Corp for paving, and numerous others. We are looking forward to great flushing, powerful hose lines, and rainwater being whisked away via the new, never-before-had storm drains! JNLF And to all the N&M workers who wondered why I was constantly looking down as I walked along Vestal Street, you should see the trove of porcelain shards, glass, old nails, a bottle neck, 19 th century spoon, and even possibly a Wampanoag stone tool I found!
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