thanks for the photos and sharing your excitement over these birds...I hadn't realized they were so colorful!...this year's irruption of these birds is spectacular and transcontinetntal this winter as you no doubt know...some cone-ection (pardon pun) with conditions in boreal forests which is their principal breeding range...flocks have been common in southern NY where I grew up from November on...do you submit your checklists to Cornell's eBird?... you visit some places this program has little data for (much of eastern WA/OR unfortunately...best wishes, thanks again, Lou
