I believe yesterday/today were my first sightings of a lone Junco at the feeders.� They were more in evidence when the feeders were adjacent to a lawn area, rather than in the midst of a bramble patch as has been the case�these last 1/2 dozen years.� Goldfinches have been abundant all season for me.� I repurposed some granny smith apples that never made it into a pie to a suet cage and that has made at least one Mockingbird happy.� I had hoped to attract something more interesting, but no luck so far.� My hummer feeder remains up with no visitors, sadly.� 

I observed/heard a towhee on the NIH grounds within the last 10 days.� The "Field List of the Birds of MD, 3rd Ed" shows them as fairly common even at this time of year in appropriate habitat.

The recent snow/ice concentrated the snowbirds to the road edges along the farm fields here, but they are always so skittish that it seems an�almost impossible�challenge to try to ID them.� I suppose it helps to have a scope to zero in on them after they settle again.� One of these days...wonder if Penn Camera's clearance sale is a likely scope buy opportunity...probably not at this point :(

Jim (Michael) Speicher
Broad Run area of S FRED CO

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