Date: 1/9/13 8:21 pm
From: cstar.email <cstar.email...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Redpoll in Cecil County & Snow Goose in Harford


Greetings fellow bird folk,

This afternoon, while unsuccessfully looking for the Crossbills that have been hanging around Bittersweet Golf Course -formerly Brantwood, on Route 213 just south of Elkton, I spotted an odd-looking bird perched at the top of one of the course's many spruce trees. As I got closer and circled around the tree to line up a frontal view of the bird, I was thrilled (and surprised) to discover it was an adult male Common Redpoll. �I did manage to get a few crappy photos, but I believe they are good enough for identification purposes...

Though these boreal finches have been noted here and there around the state lately, it never even entered my mind that I might run into one this afternoon. �
#birdingthrills. ;-)

Also of note was a very large flock of Juncos that included at least one Chipping Sparrow as well as a partial luecistic slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco that sported the race's usual gray plumage from the tail to the shoulders. This bird's head, however, was almost completely white with pied cheeks. �A handsome fellow indeed...

There were also two actively hunting resident Red-shouldered Hawks. I had the pleasure of watching one of them eat a small rodent...

Lastly, a note from Harford County. Sunday, I had a stunningly beautiful blue-morph Snow Goose among a large flock of Canada Geese. The SNGO was a textbook-portrayal blue goose with colbalt blue overall, bright contrasting white on the wings, and a blue pinstripe running up the back of the bird's neck offsetting its clean white cheeks and face... �This goose flock was foraging in a recently drained pond basin on the east side of Route 715 just north of the south entrance gate to APG directly across from Ruggles Golf Course.

Good birding,�
Chris Starling
North East, MD


Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Smartphone

--