Crossbills in Toronto?

[Julie]

Unfortunately I haven't seen any crossbills here yet! But I've noticed that every spruce and fir tree I've seen this year in TO and Southern Ontario is laden with cones. Is there any prediction of a crossbill (or finch?) irruption this year because of a good cone crop? And if so, have the birds made it to downtown Toronto in the past?

thanks

Julie (Carless in Toronto)

[Ron Luft]

There was a general finch report posted on ONTBIRDS a few weeks ago. In short, your observation of a bumper cone crop is accurate but narrow in that unusually the same bumper crop conditions exist in almost all regions of E. USA, Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, Territories and across to AB & BC, missing Man/Sask. So the downside to that was that finches will probably not moving/migrating if all, as there is little need, much less movement than normal. Apparently it was also a bumper year for deciduous trees as well. A very unusual conjunction. However, never say never and ya never know!