Christmas Eve Crossbills
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Wed, 24 Dec 1997 15:15:10 -0500
Fran and I arrived at Broad Creek Scout Camp, in Harford County, this
morning at 10:00 a.m., where the most obvious sighting was a
dispirited Harvey Mudd, who had been unsuccessfully loooking for the
crossbills since his arrival there at 8:00 a.m.
We wandered around the camp near the headquarters building, down the
main entrance road, and along the dirt road fronting the Health
Lodge. It was at this latter location that the caretaker's wife told
us that the birds had been seen most recently.
At about 10:15 a.m. Fran and I saw a small flock of about 6 Red
Crossbills flying over. We took chase but they outdistanced us and
disappeared. Unfortunately Harvey was no where nearby so he missed
this first batch.
A bit past 11:00 a.m. his and our paths converged in a large field
beyond and behind the Health Lodge, ringed with pines. As we entered
the field from one end, Harvey yelled to us from the other end, "A
flock! A flock!" Needless to say we all began to run toward the end
of the field where Harvey had seen the activity. Sure enough, there
was a group of 8-10 birds feeding in the top of several pines there.
They appeared to be about 1/3 adult male Red Crossbills and about 2/3
female/immature Reds.
As we happily watched this small flock, a new bird appeared from
behind a pine cone and all three of us simultaneously yelled
"White-wing!!!!" And indeed it was, an apparently lone adult male
White-winged Crossbill hanging with the flock of Reds.
We watched the flock feeding for only about 5 minutes, at which point
they were flushed by something and we were unable to relocate them.
Harvey decided to stay for that "one last look" and Fran and I set
off for home, to begin cooking Christmas Eve dinner for our family.
What a wonderful Christmas present, don't you all think?
By the way, these two species were numbers 398 and 399 on my 1997
year list! Looking better and better for breaking 400. Fran is now
at 393, and I think that may still be a bit more than we can locate,
but who knows???
Cheers,
Norm
===============
Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD
osprey@ari.net