I was able to see the White-winged Crossbills at Druid Ridge
Cemetery today at 11:40am. They first flew in along the Hemlock
row much farther down than they had been seen previously (at a
spot where the Hemlocks are farthest from the road). They worked
their way down the treeline until they reached the popular and
previously reported spot. When they flew I counted 10 males and 4
females. I was amazed by how quiet and reclusive they were while
feeding. I could hear the hemlock cone bits falling like a light
rain, but otherwise it was easy to overlook the birds' presence.
At one point several birds came down from the treetops and fed on
the ground below the trees and a couple perched on the fence.
They were still present when I left (after a really long "lunch"
break) at 12:25pm. This was the fourth time this week I've tried
for them, so it was especially satisfying to watch them feed -
occasionally taking entire cones and quickly taking them apart.
While waiting for the Crossbills, a lone Pine Siskin flew over.
If interested, I posted photos of Sue Hamilton's Rufous
Hummingbird in Calvert Co (from Sunday):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/odephoto/3207727925/
Cheers!
Steve Collins
Towson, MD |