As Joe Byrnes described, the female EVENING GROSBEAK was seen several times  
this morning, beginning at 9 AM, just minutes after I walked in the door.  
Naturalist Andy Brown was showing me the lay of the land from the window and  
there was the grosbeak! This bird alone was worth the trip, but the PURPLE FINCH  
show was fantastic as well. At one point there were 6 brownies and 2 bright  
males on the feeder while Andy was spotting another male in the branches  
overhead. Waves of Goldfinches came and went, along with a few House Finches,  
while a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches made quick forays. The nature center is  
a wonderful place to view the birds and is nicely designed with very 
attractive  displays.
 
After getting enough of the feeder activity, I took a walk along the 1/4  
mile boardwalk loop through the cypress swamp. Some of the additional birds seen  
here were:
 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Winter Wren - 4-5
Hermit Thrush - 2
American Robin - 8
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 10+
 
On the way home I took a side trip to North Beach and found a few good  birds 
around the pier and breakwaters:
 
Tundra Swan - 4
American Wigeon - 1 male
Mallard - dozens
Mallard/Black hybrid - 1
Northern Shoveler - 1 male
Lesser Scaup - pair
Surf Scoter - 1 female
Long-tailed Duck - farther offshore
Common Goldeneye - 1 male
Bufflehead - dozens
Horned Grebe - 1
American Coot - 1
 
Looking NE from the pier, into AA County waters, there were huge flocks of  
scaup, Bufflehead, Long-tailed Ducks and Scoters, including at least a  couple 
of WW Scoters.
 
Joel Martin
Catonsville, MD
 
 



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