Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

White-winged Crossbill -1/31

From:

Fred Shaffer

Reply-To:

Fred Shaffer

Date:

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:42:12 -0500

I got wonderful extended views of the White-winged Crossbill in Silver Spring.  
I arrived at 10:24 and set up my scope on the thistle feeder.  A group of 
goldfinch were feeding.  At 10:30, the crossbill made a brief appearance 
(about 1 minute) and I got looks at it through my scope.  The bird then left, 
only to reappear at 10:35.  This time it made a more prolonged stay, remaining 
on the feeder until 10:44.  I was able to view the bird from several angles and 
make notes of all the various field marks, included the notched tail, prominent 
wing bars, face pattern, and of course that spectacular bill.  The birds 
scattered at 10:44.  I hung around for a few more minutes without seeing the 
bird again, and then left shortly before 11:00.

Back in Crofton, I stopped a Lake Louise.  Lake Louise is the small pond along 
MD 3 at the entrance to Crofton.  It is short on good habitat, frequently low 
on water, but often has big numbers of gulls.  I occasionally check out the 
gulls, and today I had 9 Great Black-backed Gulls (8 adults or 4th winter gulls 
plus 1 2nd winter bird), 99 Herring Gulls, and approximately 275 Ring-billed 
Gulls.  While I was there, someone threw some old bagels on the ground, 
which put the birds into an absolute frenzy.  One Herring Gull had its crop so 
full that I was amazed it could get any air.  Anyway, it was a beautiful 
morning to be out.

Fred Shaffer
Crofton, MD