This morning (3/8) around 9:45 my wife and I had excellent looks at White-winged Crossbills in the fir trees along the south entrance road off of Route 108. The trees are located on the east side of the Centennial Park entrance just before the road to the boat dock. We saw two males and six females including one female with a bright yellow rump. When the flock took off we counted 10 birds. An Eastern Phoebe was singing near our house in east Columbia earlier today.  Saturday there were Pine Siskins at a neighbor’s feeder and nearby trees; some were vocal, sounding a variety of chip notes and trills. Also on Saturday, a female Cooper's Hawk was carrying a twig to her nest in a neighbor's yard.

Jim Wilkinson
Columbia, MD