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heklakatla t1_iwus7mf wrote

Great shot! Impressive you were able to get so close before he took off.

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fiddlersgreen2021 OP t1_iwusgll wrote

Thank you, I was pretty surprised as well, this was taken with my iPhone as I was out following deer tracks. Brought the rifle instead of the DSLR.

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Rich_Depth7314 t1_iwwrvhe wrote

They are a boreal species generally, without long evolutionary history alongside humans and are generally unafraid. At times you can walk up to them and pick them off a branch. When you band them, they will happily pose on your shoulder or top of your head and purr when stroked (ok that last part isn't true). Amazingly charismatic critters

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heklakatla t1_iwx0j61 wrote

Interesting... So is this guy lost? Blown in with the weather? Or do they move south to VT for the winter?

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Rich_Depth7314 t1_iwx79os wrote

They breed in the state, in bogs and higher elevation forests, but their numbers are augmented in winter by birds coming from the north. Their migration was somewhat unknown until just the past few decades. And their feathers glow under a UV light!

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fiddlersgreen2021 OP t1_iwx9p68 wrote

Thanks for all of this, the mrs and I have been watching videos about them on YouTube now 😂. I’ll have to check the banding out next year as I’m over that way riding bikes a lot anyway.

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