FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] merlins at kingsport

["Rick Phillips" <sunfish0501@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Two Merlins were still present at Oak Hill Cemetery in Kingsport this morning 
(Jan 13) around 7:30 am, perched in the tops of spruce trees near where I saw 
them late yesterday.  Around 7:45am a crow drove one bird off it's perch and 
the other merlin followed.  Both flew out of the cemetery in the direction of 
Wellmont and HMG in the old Kings-Giant plaza on East Stone Drive in Kingsport. 
 A Merlin here a couple of years ago was often not seen in the cemetery until 
late in the afternoon where it usually returned to it's high perch to spend the 
night.

Also this morning at the Wellmon/HMG area on East Stone Drive was a pair of 
Red-shouldered Hawks calling loudly all over the wet field that borders the 
parking lot.  Don't know if this might be the resident pair from up around 
American Way on the greenbelt or not. We often see a movement of Red-shouldered 
Hawks through this area in late January and February.

Rick

Rick Phillips
Kingsport, Tennessee