[TN-Bird] Cranes and Short-Eared Owls

From: Robin Barrow <braveladyrobin@xxxxxxxxx>
To: TNBIRDS <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 22:14:40 -0500
First, a big thank you to the Chattanooga TOS and the volunteers in
Birchwood. I enjoyed talking to several of you. It's truly great what
you do.

This afternoon I drove to Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge and stayed from
2-4. Aside from the impressive display of thousands of gray cranes, I
was also lucky enough to see 2 gleaming white ones. The whooping
cranes are immature; we could see their cinammon necks in the scopes.

I then drove to Nine Mile Crossroad, arriving at 5 (eastern). On the
ride in I was greeted by a lovely Eastern Meadowlark--I couldn't
confirm the identification on this one because it wouldn't turn for me
to see its breast, but I did later see 4 meadowlarks in the field.
Once at the spot I immediately saw an immature Northern Harrier catch
his dinner and settle down with it. About 20 minutes later another
immature began circling. Around 6, a bird flew out of the tall grasses
surrounding the pond. It flew like a harrier but had a flat face and
no white hump. It also had a different profile when sitting on the
tree, so I and another group of birders braving the cold decided it
must be the short-eared owl. Another owl joined it on the same tree. A
third harrier, an adult male, came out and played games with the two
immatures. He was distinctly light gray, whereas the other two were
much darker.

Count for Hiwassee (Meigs Co.): Thousands of Sandhill Cranes, 2 Whooping Cr=
anes
Count for Nine Mile (Bledsoe Co.): 2 Short-Eared Owls, 3 Northern
Harriers (2 immature and 1 adult male), 4 Eastern Meadowlarks,
red-winged blackbirds in abundance, 1 Canada Goose.

Robin Barrow
Knox Co., TN
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[TN-Bird] Cranes and Short-Eared Owls

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