Hi all, I took another walk around Lake Elkhorn (south Columbia) this afternoon, and came up with a pair of Canvasbacks, near the platform at the back of the lake amid a dozen or so Ring-necks. A nice Fox Sparrow was in the thickets along the north edge of the lake all the way back near the bridge. Also had a Sharp-shinned Hawk flying overhead. No Dickcissel today. Concerning the Dickcissel, when I first found it, I did not note any black at all on the throat or upper breast. I only remember there being much more yellow on the throat than the white depicted in the NGS guide. To my recollection, the bird I saw had no characteristics of even an immature male. However, I have little experience with this bird other than adult males in breeding plumage, so my eyes may have missed some important details. Stan Arnold Glen Burnie, MD