Betsy, here are some photos showing the variable coloration of house finches. You can see that not only can the red color be orange or yellowish, it can cover just a bit on the head and chest, or a whole lot. Plus, the streaking can be very pale or very heavy. I don't know why some bird breeds can be so variable, but it sure can make a big difference in how they look. Hope this helps some. Marcia Bright orange markings and limited streaking. Heavy red coloration. Very little red coloration Moderate amount of red and pale streaks Small amount of yellowish orange with heavy streaking Red coloring going all the way down the back Yellowish coloration

Really,... I was a member of the model air plane club in Lethbridge, we had a field to fly on the west side, [University] that wind surely made it difficult at times. Going skying to Fernie or Kimberly on the Crowsnest Highway I have fond memories seeing the HUGE nest in town, not sure anymore which town. At times it was above 0 degree in the hills, going back to Lethbridge it would still be in the deep freeze!

I've been following this thread and am so glad the Phoebe got to nest in a safe place. I had one which built on top of a downspout elbow, just under the deck; she had a couple of broods per year until two seasons ago, when she disappeared before eggs were laid. For the past couple of days I've seen a Phoebe on the deck railing, calling "fee-bee" over and over. Perhaps a new male looking for a mate? I had the deck re-done so the old, many-times-reused nest is gone. But I'm hoping to build a platform with a small ledge around the edge and mount it just under the deck. I'd love to know what size (dimensions) you decided to make yours; don't want to make mine too small. On another note: after the original Phoebe didn't return to the nest on the downspout, some enterprising Carolina Wrens came along and "renovated" the existing nest. They had four babies, all of which I found all on the cement walkway under the deck a couple of days after they hatched. House Wrens had thrown them out. Two were dead. I put the nest in a small can, built up the nesting materials in the front to prevent the remaining babies from falling out again -- also laid foam pads down below, just in case. Next day, the surviving two were on the ground again. Thankfully they lived, and with the help of a rehabber, I raised them successfully. Oh, those House Wrens!!! P.S. - I just looked up Eastern Phoebe in my Stokes bird book. It says that at least 25% of Phoebe nests are parasitized by cowbirds. So watch that nest carefully for an intruder egg.

Hi Konrad. Yep, you've got an immature Red-tailed Hawk there! Immature red-tails have heavy barring on the tail (which you can see in the top photo) and the eyes are a pale whitish-yellow instead of dark brown. Gorgeous hawk and nice pictures!