Yesterday, en route to Delaware shore birding sites (2nd-winter 
glaucous gull and a single red knot were Port Mahon Road highlights), 
I stopped at the Bay Country rest area on Route 301, not far 
north/east of the 50/301 split.

While eating a snack and gaining focus and energy to continue my 
early a.m. trip, I heard what I thought might be a purple finch 
singing. Then I thought it was a house finch without much of a 
distinctive lilt at the end of the song. I tracked down the bird. It 
was singing farily high up in a tulip poplar, if memory serves. 
Overall, my first impression was that it was a late purple finch: Its 
bright reddish rump, reddish head with only a hint of brown auricular 
color, and overall head shape and, to some extent, bill reinforced my 
suspicions. Yet something just wasn't right about it. I did not get a 
look at the back but did glimpse the flanks: While there were brown 
streaks on the otherwise whitish flanks, they seemed far thinner than 
I'm used to seeing in our backyard house finch males.

If anyone is headed to Delaware or west toward the Bay Bridge from 
Delaware this weekend and by chance stops at the Bay Country rest 
area, keep an eye out for this strange bird. I'd be interested to 
know if it's still there on territory and if it strikes anyone else 
as strange. I have not had a chance to look into the possibility of 
house finch X purple finch hybrids but I think there have been a 
report or two of mixed pairs in some parts of their range....

This rest area is reachable from both east and west lanes of Route 
301 (it's between them). I saw the bird from the stone and wood 
picnic benches on the west/south side of the visitor center. It was 
in the deciduous trees at the edge of the parking lot, adjacent to 
the ornamental small trees and picnic tables.

Howard Youth

Bethesda, MD