Tuesday, March 18, 2003, between 4pm and 6pm, I birded along roads just west of the Walmart Distribution Center in western Greene Co. On Pottertown Rd. in a shrubby wet field I saw a flock of around 150 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS before a COOPER'S HAWK rousted them. Several other smaller groups of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen as I drove on. Finally I encountered a flock of about 300 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS on Hwy. 348 just east of the intersection with Mohawk Rd., (including one piebald albino female) for a total of approximately 500 for the afternoon. Other birds around the wet field beside Hwy. 348 included my first BARN SWALLOW of the year, a WILSON'S SNIPE that flew in and landed, and three NORTHERN HARRIERS flying through at low and medium heights as if hunting, but all together. Also seen along Green Rd. were two NORTHERN SHOVELERS, a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, and a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. Don Holt Johnson City, TN ************************************************* BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST This is a regional birding list sponsored by the Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. It serves the Russell County Bird Club, Herndon Chapter TOS, Chapter, Blue Ridge Birders Club, Butternut Nature Club, Buchanan County Bird Club, Bristol Bird Club, Clinch Valley Bird Club and Cumberland Nature Club. -------------------------------------------------- You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds. To post to this mailing list, simply send an email to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. -------------------------------------------------- Wallace Coffey, Moderator jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423)764-3958