Date: 2/19/13 11:02 am
From: jugbayjs <JugBayJS...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Re: Red Crossbills at BARC (or anywhere else in PG!)


Michel:

Congrats on the crossbills! However, they are not as easy in PG as one would imagine! I've been intently looking/listening for ANY crossbills (Red or White-winged) in Prince George's almost daily now (literally, I live there) ever since they first began arriving last fall. But I have yet to see or hear one in PG. I've seen them in numerous other areas now, and I love them (they are fantastic to watch!).

There have been very few reports for PG County given the magnitude of the irruption, and I thinks its odd given the excellent amount of habitat in the county, especially near where you saw them. In general southern MD (which southern PG is part of) has missed much of the irruption. In the northern part of PG County, there are some areas near the border of adjacent Counties with sustained crossbill use, but I think much of this part of PG that may have crossbills is not open to the public (BARC, Patuxent Research Refuge Central Tract and much of the North Tract, etc.).

Prior to your report, based on the listserve and eBird reports I think there have only been 7 locations where crossbills have been observed (with 2 of them in areas closed to public), and only 9 observations in total.

WW Crossbills
1. Fran Uhler, (7) on 2-2; and (8) on 2-7;
2. Governor Bridge Natural Area, (1) on 11-14; and (1) on 1-3;
3. Bladensburg Waterfront Park, (5) on 11-19;
4. BARC, (a flock, no estimate available) on 1-1; CLOSED AREA
5. University of Md (2) on Feb 2;
6. National Colonial Farm (4) on 1-19.

Red Crossbills
7. Rocky Gorge Reservoir (25) on 12-15; CLOSED AREA; and
(2 again) Governor Bridge Natural Area (1) on 9-11.

Two weeks ago (Feb 3) I spent most of a Sunday driving areas with good habitat in PG (logged 72 miles) but found none. I routinely look around in areas of PG (Bowie, Upper Marlboro, Largo, Croom, etc.) with good heavy cones (especially VA pine, various spruce, etc.) and good Sweet Gum seed crops. I have tried to bird at most of the above areas listed above right after the reports were made but had no luck. However, I am going to keep trying!

Cheers!
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD

[snip]

... Also, I had 6 red crossbills at BARC (Beltsville Agricultural Research Center) yesterday, [snip} ...this area is not open to the public but if it was that easy for me to find them, I imagine there should be others around in areas more accessible to the public (at BARC and elsewhere)... [snip].

Michel Cavigelli
Greenbelt (and BARC employee)
[snip]

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