[TN-Bird] Loggerhead, barn swallows

From: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2004 10:31:28 EDT
Greetings,
Yesterday, I went back to the Riverbend Prison in West Nashville's Cockrill 
Bend of the Cumberland River  for a former teaching colleague's retirement 
party.  As I arrived at the gate on Centennial Boulevard, a loggerhead shrike 
flew 
from the wires back over toward the river.  Ten barn swallows were perched 
and chattering on the power lines to welcome me also.

When I was librarian at Riverbend (1989--1997), the loggerhead shrike almost 
always had a nest in a small tree just across the perimeter road just outside 
and behind the compound.  I have pictures of barn swallow nests under the 
eaves of the maintenance shed where scads of them nested for many years.

Unfortunately, the prison is restricted security, so it is not a place that 
lets birdwatchers in.  When I worked there, I had the pleasure of being 
librarian in a building which had windows facing the river where I could watch 
marsh 
hawks/harriers fly slowly and lowly over the meadows all winter, red tailed 
hawks sailing around from their favorite nesting tree across the river in 
Bell's 
Bend all year,  an old great horned owl that once dropped his freshly caught 
rabbit right in front of my car causing me to flatten it, and even the 
short-eared owl that used to winter in the taller grasses below the perimeter 
road 
out back.  Early one cold morning, I went in to find that two cattle egrets had 
hit the razor wire which killed one and slightly mangled the other which was 
later picked up by the Walden's Puddle people.  Birds were pretty plentiful out 
there, so I was glad to see my loggerhead and the barns welcome me for the 
party and to be back at their "stations" to "wing" goodbye to me as I left. 

Cheers & prayers,

Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
    


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[TN-Bird] Loggerhead, barn swallows

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