The bird in the above photo is a female Common Redpoll, Acanthis flammea. The eponymous poll – the colorful head cap – is typically bright red. Here the cap is yellow. This is a rare mutation which has been reported in other finches (Northern Cardinals, House Finches and others) as well as a variety of other animals. Whether the same individual or perhaps additional birds, we encountered xanthochromic redpolls in multiple years at The Lake.