Quick notes on a few decent opportunistic sightings in west Knox Co... At least 2 FOX SPARROWs continue in the brushy areas around our parking lot at work (near the Hardin Valley exit on Pellissippi). I often hear them singing when I come to work in the morning. On Thurs, 28 Jan, I left work a little earlier than normal just before dark and while listening to the Fox Sparrows, noticed a group of at least 22 RUSTY BLACKBIRDs, my first this winter. On the way home, I stopped at the Food City on Middlebrook Pike. Light was really fading by then but there appeared to be at least a couple of Rusties in with the Red-winged Blackbirds that roost in the retaining pond there. The morning gull flight over our house had become very erratic since the cold spell ended a couple weeks ago with many days when no gulls were seen heading (presumedly) to the landfill in Anderson Co. Not the case this morning (29 Jan) as there was a near constant stream of gulls passing overhead. I would estimate about 2000 RING-BILLED GULLs (not counting how many I may have missed while getting ready for work) plus 2 1st-winter HERRING GULLs (my first since 17 Jan). Dean Edwards Knoxville, TN =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation. You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds you report were seen. The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should appear in the first paragraph. _____________________________________________________________ To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx _____________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. ______________________________________________________________ TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------ Assistant Moderator Andy Jones Cleveland, OH ------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Dave Worley Rosedale, VA -------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan Clarksville, TN __________________________________________________________ Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ARCHIVES TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/ MAP RESOURCES Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com _____________________________________________________________