While heading out to a wooded section of the Bruce Trail, I stopped to have a look at a bird on a wire:

My attention was immediately captured by hundreds of small birds in a corn field where the field meets the woods. Out I walked (probably should have done up my coat and put on my hat) to see what they were.

On the ground were many distant Juncos:

But in the trees were dozens of little birds that were showing some red colour. Redpolls? Each time that I got close, they flew further away but I was able to get these photos of Purple Finches.

Like Redpolls, Purple Finches vary considerably in numbers from year to year and from place to place.

Adult males look a bit like House Sparrows dipped in raspberry sauce.

In many years of feeding birds in the backyard, I have had ONE Purple Finch so it was a thrill to see so many today.

The section of the Bruce Trail which I hiked meant a lot to this gentleman:

Some botany:

NATURE POETRY

There was a new frail yellow moon to-night —
I wish you could have had it for a cup
With stars like dew to fill it to the brim.     – Sara Teasdale (1884–1933)

Miles Hearn