I decided to swing by Woodend before work today, just in case.... The
hemlocks did not show a single bird but it was such a beautiful
morning that I stayed for a while to watch the sparrows, Car. wrens
and house finches in the brambles on the left side of the road across
from the gatehouse. A few birds flew up from the brambles and perched
on one of the branches above the left path. When I looked at them, my
first thought was is that a purple finch? but then I saw the wingbar
and realized I was looking at a beautiful male WWC. A few seconds
later the group (8-10 birds) flew away towards Rock Creek Park making
WWC sounds, perhaps because a red shouldered hawk was arriving. The
WWC did not return and I left for work.
Thanks, Gail.
Evelyn Ralston
Bethesda, MD
On Feb 5, 2009, at 12:32 PM, Gail Mackiernan wrote:
> Hi all --
>
> Barry and I stopped by Woodend, the Audubon Naturalist Society's
> headquarters on Jones Mill Rd, Mont. Cty. on spec because it has a
> lot of
> hemlocks and was where WW Crossbills have been found in the (rather
> distant)
> past.
>
> Well, we struck gold with about a dozen White-winged Crossbills
> feeding in a
> large hemlock to the right of the entrance road, just beyond the
> "gatehouse"
> -- we watched them for a short time and then they flew off calling
> to the
> NW. We checked the rest of the property's hemlocks with no luck,
> also drove
> the neighborhood a bit, checking both hemlocks and spruces but
> could not
> relocate the birds.
>
> However it would be worth checking again -- about 25 years ago WW
> Crossbills
> lingered at ANS into April!
>
> Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
> Colesville, MD |