[TN-Bird] Sequatchie Valley owls, etc

Bledsoe County
2/18/06

Hi folks,

At 6:22pm EST, 3 and perhaps 4 Short-eared Owls appeared in the same
field on nine mile road as reported several times on this list in the
last month.  David Vogt, Stephen Stedman, and 4 other folks were
there to see them, in addition to me.

While we waited, we counted about 500 Sandhill Cranes getting up from
a spot we couldn't see.  They all followed approximately the same
pattern:  10 to 70 birds would rise up heading approximately SE. 
They would circle, gaining altitude in a fairly chaotic (to me)
pattern of mixing and splitting groups.  Then they'd hit a point
where it appeared they found some order, formed vees, and left to the
NNE.  We later heard some that we didn't count.

About and around the valley, David and I saw at least 25 American
Kestrels, 10 Red-tailed Hawks, and one Red-shouldered Hawk.  We
stopped by the Cookie Jar, where Bonnie Johnson's crew fed us very
well.  After "birding" the cookie jars (1 Snowy Owl, 2 Penguins, 2
unknown owls species, and assorted ducks, geese, swans and chickens)
we checked out the large flocks of blackbirds around the family farm.
 A good sized flock of Brewer's Blackbirds was the expected
highlight.  We also saw a large flock of Common Grackles, and
scattered flocks (some mixed, some not) of Brown-headed Cowbirds,
Eastern Meadowlarks, Red-winged Blackbirds, and one group of about
12-15 Rusty Blackbirds, to give us all the expected east Tennessee
blackbirds for one day.  First time I've ever observed that in one
day.

Sequatchie is a neat place!

Charlie

*******************************************************************
Charlie Muise, Naturalist near
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

"To the dull mind all nature is leaden.  To the illuminated mind 
the whole world sparkles with light."  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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