[TN-Bird] Short-eared owl, rusty blackbirds

From: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 19:49:09 EST
Sorry about this day old post, but I had Christmas festivities to deal with 
yesterday and spent a good part of today in my volunteer work at St. Thomas 
Hospital's busy emergency room.

On the way to dinner in Franklin (TN) yesterday at about 12:30 PM, a 
gorgeous, probably adult female short tailed hawk flew in front of my car at 
quite close range and about 15 feet above the ground.  All the marking were 
very evident, and as I got even with her destination, she appeared to be 
ready to land just past a small row of deciduous trees.  I could not slow 
down quickly, stop or pull over as I had a decidedly belligerent "tail rider" 
within just a few short feet of my rear bumper.  The location was on Highway 
431 just south of the entrance to Carnton where the bird flew across from the 
east.  It was just before the row of short deciduous trees ends and the row 
of short pine trees begins along the fence line of the Carnton golf course.  
She was probably headed for "luncheon on the green" hoping to catch a fine 
mouse for her Christmas repast in the short, now-browned-for-winter grass.  
Maybe she had already spotted the little rodent and was landing to collect.  
A non-birding friend who DOES know hawks and owls told me he has seen 
short-ears around Carnton several times this year.  He and his family live 
just south of the golf course.

I do wish to add a very late possible short-eared report to this.  On 
December 3, while riding with someone else (non-birder) on I-40 just east of 
Briley Parkway, a very likely short-eared flew in front of us at about a 40 
foot elevation toward the airport "grasslands" just at dusk (approximately 
4:15 PM).  Behavior and size pretty much ruled every other owl species out. 

After dinner and gift exchanging, I got away in time to get home before dark 
sets in and my "driving eyes" give out.  At about 3:50 PM, I was driving west 
on Harding Place in Nashville.  As I slowed to stop at the Estes traffic 
light, I saw about 400 black birds in a low, damp spot in a yard on the left. 
 They just did not appear to be starlings.  I lowered the windows (even my 
OLD car has power windows) and heard the long familiar confirmation of a huge 
flock of rusty blackbirds chortling their unmistakable "rusty hinge" chorus.  
There were a few starlings in with them, but at least 90% of the birds were 
rustys.

Although birding wasn't on my "main menu" for Christmas, I was rewarded with 
a couple of very nice "presents" in the form of seeing some species I don't 
run across every day!  T'was a very merry Christmas for me with good friends, 
good food and good birds!!!!  Hope all of you had it as good.

Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
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[TN-Bird] Short-eared owl, rusty blackbirds

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