FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Re: Merlin, etc. (Greene Co., TN)

["Ben Britton" <benbrdn@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello to all,

I spent yesterday (1-18) afternoon in Western Greene Co.  Saw a few good sized blackbird flocks, but the only Rusty I came up with, was by the TWRA barn drainage ditch.  No Brewer's, but lots of grackles and red-wings.

My two big finds, were a Merlin, sitting on top of a pine on Hwy 348, between Lick Creek and Oakwood rd, and a L. Shrike at the intersection of Glades rd and Purgason Ln.  This Merlin was seen about 1600, like the Kingsport birds.

 I hung around the TWRA refuge for about 3 hrs, but had no luck with the Short-eared owls or the Barn owls.  I did count 7 N.Harriers there.  I also heard a few Red-headed Woodpeckers at the woodlot between Glades and Sapp rd, maybe they will hang there, like the Green road desent.  (just learned that name for a group of woodpeckers, been dying to use it!)

Been Brdn?

Ben Britton, Morristown, TN

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From: "Donald Miller" <pandion@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: pandion@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: "TN-Bird" <TN-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Bristol-Birds] Merlin, etc. (Greene Co., TN)
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 23:34:02 -0500

January 11, 2007

 

Greene County--mostly Mohawk, Midway, McDonald, and areas nearby

 

An hour and a half's birding in the western end of Greene County this afternoon produced the following:

 

Snow Goose (juvenile on Highway 340 at Turner Lane)

Northern Harrier (3)

Merlin (Highway 340 0.8 mile west of Highway 348)

Loggerhead Shrike (Highway 348 0.4 mile from Highway 340)

 

The Merlin flew from a tree beside Highway 340 and descended on a male American Kestrel on a wire about a fifth of a mile away, forcing the smaller bird to drop a rodent that it had been eating.  The kestrel attempted to force its attacker to give up the prey but had no success.  The Merlin picked up the rodent and returned to the perch where I first noticed it.  The whole thing took no more than about a half minute.  Quite a sight.

 

 

Don Miller

Greeneville, Greene Co., TN

 

pandion@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

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