I just got on this board, but I have been attending RAS meetings for a while. The most unusual bird I have seen lately has been a towhee - probably an Eastern one. It looked like a small robin with a white stripe on its breast. We also saw battles over the hanging suet in our yard - between a mockingbird and a red-bellied woodpecker, between a mockingbird and a squirrel, and between a catbird and a red-bellied woodpecker - the woodpecker literally flew onto the suet causing the catbird there to fly off. For a couple of days we saw two crows near our feeder. They looked really huge compared to the other birds. Jim Blowers -----Original Message----- From: va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Al & Linda Warfield Sent: Sunday, 2005 May 01 20:57 To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: Fw: Brewer's Blackbird in Cumberland Michael, Yes your post did show up on the listserve before. Al Warfield ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Shapiro" <sc.tanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: "Richmond listserv" <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2005 6:19 PM Subject: [va-richmond-general] Fw: Brewer's Blackbird in Cumberland I apologize if you all have already seen this post, but I've been having e-mail trouble and I have no idea if this ever posted or not. We also saw a mob of crows harassing and dive bombing a hawk. Couldn't tell the species but I'm guessing Red-tailed. Michael ----- Original Message ----- From: Michael Shapiro To: Richmond listserv Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 10:03 PM Subject: Brewer's Blackbird in Cumberland Hello, all- While leading the kids on our last nature walk of the class, we briefly spotted what I identified as a Brewer's Blackbird. There was a Common Grackle near-by to see a size difference, but it was overcast and the bird was in a tree, so I didn't get to see its eyes. However, Sibley describes the Brewer's Blackbird as being more of an agricultural and suburban bird than the Rusty, which prefers swampy marshlands. The bird flew from a solitary cedar tree in an open area next to the playground and back parking lot, then flew across an open area to a deciduous tree (wasn't focusing on the tree to tell what kind). Behind the area where the bird was is a farm. I heard the bird call and sing, so I listened to recordings of Brewer's, Rusty, and Red-winged when I got home. I'm positive that it was a Brewer's. The "song" wasn't the least bit bubbly. It was definitely harsh - like a creaky, rusty fence gate opening. A lifer for me (and bird # 33 for the year for the school)!! I have an odd question, now, for an odd finding. One of the kids found this strange thing growing on one of the trees. It was brown, about three inches long, slightly curled, soft, with some "appendages" (growths? I'm not sure how to describe them - they were like spines, but they were soft, not sharp) on it, about and inch or so long. I thought it might be some sort of weird cocoon, but I honestly haven't a clue. I've never seen anything like it before. At first, I thought it was some toy or something, but it seems "organic." Unfortunately, I don't have it as the kid who found it took it home with him. ANY IDEAS??? Other observations included several Yellow-rumps still hanging around, as well as an Ovenbird, a Fence Lizard, and hundreds of Tent Caterpillars (the kids are obsessed with them). The beat-up Bluebird nest box I previously reported does, in fact, have a nesting Easting Bluebird in it. I opened the box briefly and saw mom on her eggs. I didn't know that Eastern Bluebird's eggs are also a turquoise color similar to an American Robin's. I doubt anyone has ever cleaned the nestbox (it wouldn't be in such bad shape otherwise), so it's probably an old nest being used again. Michael Shapiro Short Pump sc.tanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please visit, //www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general. You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please visit, //www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general. You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please visit, //www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general.