This Sunday I spotted what I though was a female Purple Finch foraging amongst a mixed flock of House Finches, Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls. I did not think much of it but I set out the next afternoon to try and photograph it. I arrived at a river bank overlooking the Terwillegar dog park to see a large flock of Redpolls take off leaving a group of about 40 House Finches and Pine Siskins. I looked to my left to see the Purple Finch from the day before sitting in the grass, it took off but not before I could capture a decent shot.
When I got home I started reviewing my photos. I noticed that she did not look like a normal Purple Finch, but I submitted it to eBird as a Purple Finch anyways. Later that evening I received several emails from some well know birders in Alberta saying that the Purple Finch looked more like a Female/Immature Cassin's Finch. A few emails later we confirmed that she was indeed a Female/Immature CAFI. It tuns out that the CAFI I photographed on Monday was Edmonton's first eBird record of CAFI.
A few Edmonton listers showed up on Tuesday to look for the CAFI, but no one has had any luck spotting it. Hopefully I will be able to spot it again for the upcoming Christmas Bird Count.
Special thanks to, James Fox, Andrew Ross, Bob Bowhay, Vivek Dabral and Asher Warkentin for helping me confirm Edmonton's fist eBird record of Cassin's Finch.
Edmonton's first eBird record of Cassin's Finch. A very exciting find.
Two Male Cassin's Finches that I photographed earlier this year in Waterton NP.
