Paula -- Nice report. I have resisted replying to several messages referring to female Purple Finches. Thought it would be beneficial to all to remind folks that brown Purple Finches can be females or immature males. It takes two seasons for males to attain their rose color so they are in brown plumage until the end of their first breeding season. Therefore, brown birds cannot be called female based just on brown plumage. There is no easy way to id female vs immature male in the field unless the bird is caught during the breeding season by a bander. Singing brown birds in spring and summer would be males. Cheers, Kathy Paula Sullivan To: mdosprey@ARI.Net, <paulas@erols marvadel@egroups.com .com> cc: Sent by: Subject: [MDOsprey] owner-mdospre Piscataway Creek and Nat'l y@ARI.Net Colonial Farm 11/20/99 03:05 PM Please respond to mdosprey Larry Cartwright and I spent Saturday morning visiting three locations along the Maryland side of the Potomac River in Prince Georges County. Most of the ducks had fled the hunters, so Piscataway Creek at the end of Wharf Road was disappointing. Only one Red-breasted Merg, a Cormorant, a small flock of Ruddies, a few Mallards, a couple Great Blues, and gulls stuck it out there. We did find a few goodies to make the trip worth it. Besides Wharf Road, we stopped at Piscataway Park off Bryan Point Rd. and the National Colonial Farm. We tallied 44 species. HIGHLIGHTS: 10 TUNDRA SWAN flying down the river, 1 female OLDSQUAW hanging out with about 30 LESSER SCAUP in the river near the visitor center of National Colonial Farm, 4 pairs of BUFFLEHEAD, 4 BALD EAGLES, 2 BARRED OWLS, 1 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, 1 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, 4 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 2 FOX SPARROWS, 1 immature WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, 3 MEADOWLARK, 1 female PURPLE FINCH. Paula Sullivan Alexandria, VA paulas@erols.com