I looked for birds in the fields in north Howard County along Old Frederick and Underwood Roads this morning (1/31). There were about a dozen Horned Larks scattered about. While I was looking for the larks along Underwood Road I heard the rattling call of a Lapland Longspur but I did not see the bird.  I also saw one Killdeer.  

At Font Hill Park there was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a Belted Kingfisher in the woods along the stream. All my birding was done from the road because the paths are ice-covered.  There were several Pine Siskins nearby. At home there was one Pine Siskin on our thistle feeder very early; this past week in the snow and ice storms there has been up to four siskins.

Jim Wilkinson
Columbia, MD