The male Painted Bunting was true to form and showed itself easily around 3pm this afternoon. The entire Maryland birding community should offer a big shout-out to Dorothy and her family for being so accomodating with our need to see this beautiful bird. (Instructions for arranging a visit are in previous posts). Her feeder also hosted four sparrow species (2 American Tree, Field, White-Throated and House), as well as Juncos, a BH Cowbird, WB Nuthatch and others.
 
  I spent the morning wandering rather aimlessly across rural Carroll County, trying to pad out my lame list for the county. (Got 14 new ticks!) I missed a turn in downtown Westminster and went to turn around, when I found myself looking at a strange-looking raptor flying several hundred yards away. It was a very good match for a Northern Goshawk:  all whitish underneath, with faint barring; dark charcoal upperparts, large, broad wings with powerful wingbeats; a much narrower tail, less fan-shaped, than Red-Tailed. It flew off before I could find a place to pull over (snow banks everywhere) and get a scope on it. Could not relocate it. Thus, while I could not make positive ID, I feel pretty sure it was a Goshawk, and it certainly looked and flew differently than any of the common raptors we see this time of year.
 
   The location was just outside McDaniel College, near the intersection of Main Street and Maryland Route 31. Keep an eye out!
 
   Good Birding
   Warren and Lisa Strobel
   Annapolis, MD
   www.birdcouple.com