There was a flock of 5 White-winged Crossbills, 2 males and 3 females or immature with about 30 Pine Siskins near Font Hill Wetland Park in northeast Howard County today (Jan 25). This was at the intersection of Font Hill Drive and Carrigan Drive. Although the crossbills flew off towards the south, the number of cone-bearing evergreens in the neighborhood should attract more.  At the park by the entrance were more Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches feeding on hemlock and spruce cones, an Eastern Phoebe, a Winter Wren and two Golden-crowned Kinglets. An adult Bald Eagle flew overhead.

Jim Wilkinson
Columbia, MD