White-winged Crossbill in Picton

In an earlier post (There Could be Crossbills) I confessed both my desire to see a crossbill, and my suspicion that these are mythical birds. A crossed bill? How could it be?

This week the Quinte Bird Report tells of a female white-winged crossbill visiting a feeder in Picton, Ontario. Picton is the largest town in Prince Edward County (often referred to around here as "the County"), a birder's paradise just south of me (here's a list of species recorded there), and a place I visit frequently (see for example, Cormorant Cull?). This map shows the way from Thomasburg to Picton.

So, have the crossbills slipped down the Ottawa River and over into the County? Will they never come here?

As you can see if you look at the map, Prince Edward County is almost an island in Lake Ontario. They are a full gardening zone warmer than we are (6, compared to our 5), and experience extremes of weather, both drought and lake-effect snow (of the sort experienced by Buffalo, NY and others on the south side of the lake). Quite a different place altogether, although so near.

I will be spending a few days down there late December or early January, so maybe I'll get to see one of these so-called crossbills, even if they never come here.