Bird Brain

Agree with Rough-legged Hawk.

Agree with Sharpie. Nice photos!!

I agree with akandula for the reasons well stated. On another note, I would caution against assuming that a duck is a male and another is female based on the fact that they were together. 😄 Colusa Wetlands 01-10-36 by Wayne J Smith, on Flickr

What!!??!! You're only 70 and you've quit climbing trees??? I'm 73 and I still climb trees!! I just got down off the roof a few minutes ago. Been cleaning out the gutters and checking for potential leaks, etc. If you don't climb that tree and get the measurement that Charlie requested I'm going to vote for Sharpie!! 😁

Cooper's Hawk IMG_2114-001 by Wayne J Smith, on Flickr

With the dark patigals and belly band, I'd say Red-tailed also. Definitely not a Ferruginous with those bare lower legs.

Consider how many different breeds of dogs there are that are all of the same species. Cross-breeding these breeds does not produce a new species, just a new breed of dog. The same can be said of Ducks. If you cross two different species of Duck then you come up with a hybrid, but as long as the same species of Duck is being bred, such as a Mallard, then you get a new variation of the same species. The same is true of domesticated Jungle Fowl, aka Chickens. There are countless different breeds of them, yet they're all the same species.

I agree with leucistic American Goldfinch. I took these photos of one a couple of years on my feeder. They might have been twins separated at birth....er...hatch?? IMG_0633-001 by Wayne J Smith, on Flickr IMG_0429-001 by Wayne J Smith, on Flickr

I agree with Red-shouldered.

I think its tail is frozen to the ice!!!!

Agreed.

These are male Hooded Mergansers. Buffleheads don't have the shoulder stripes and have a shorter bluish bill.

There was another bird recently with unusual blue feathers, don't remember exactly what or where it was. The OP said it was a cold dry day and this House Finch doesn't appear to be wet. I've never seen down feathers on one that were blue like this one is. I really don't know what the cause is, but it's a very unusual House Finch for sure!

No doubt it's a male House Finch. I wonder if the blue in it's feathers could be due to something in its diet. We know that the color can vary from red to orange to yellow in male House Finches due to something in their diet.

Congrats!!! I've yet to see one of those critters....still on my bucket list!