Without my binocs while walking the dog in rain—but suddenly the harvested and manured field NE of my drive (147) erupted in pipits. Coming from old cornfield to eat if this field, I clearly saw ca 200 slender, mostly cryptic, light bellies and longish tails with white outer feathers coming up in quick flying sub-flocks that then resettled farther west in the field. Sun flocks gave me a way to count roughly.
May have been a few sparrows near field margins as well and definitely a small flock of redwings next to the west hedgerow being strafed by what I assume was a sharp shinned hawk. Not a lot larger than they and they did not leave the area despite its swoops. Unfortunately they were a good distance away and, as mentioned, no binocs (rain, dog on lead). So sharpie is my best ID. Anne Sent from my iPhone -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --