Greetings!
Jill and I spent a good while yesterday trying to relocate the Long-eared 
Owl reported on the Richmond IN bird count last month. After checking many 
acres of pines at the Cope Environmental Center (just west of Richmond on 
40) we found it!! It is very skittish and it took several laps around the 
pine groves for a good look, but it was still there!! The Long-ear was in 
the pines to the south of the Homestead entrance into Cope--it was first 
found in the far southeast corner, but ranged over the whole east side. 
(Part of team Snap Grackle and Pop [Jimmy and Casey]got there at dark and 
reported the owl vocalizing). We also had Red-breasted Nuthatch at the Cope 
feeders.  On our way to Richmond we found a large flock of non-starling 
blackbirds--hundreds of Grackles, Red-wings, Cowbirds and nearly 60 Rusty 
Blackbirds!! We were tipped off to their presence by a very fresh road kill 
Rusty. We stopped for the specimen and almost immediately located the flock 
in a cow pasture. The birds were still on Stone Road just south of 44 late 
yesterday afternoon.
The Shrike was seen both days this weekend by most groups.  A lone Dunlin 
was reported on the mudflats at Dunlapsville with all the Killdeer--its 
always fun to scan miles of mudflats for a single bird!  There have also 
been reports of both Surf Scoters and Cackling Geese at Brookville over the 
past week or so--please keep your eyes open but be careful with their 
IDs--a picture would be much appreciated!!!
As a quick aside--Jill and I banded three young Bald Eagles at Brookville 
this past summer, if the opportunity presents itself please check for the 
presence of a band on the right leg of any of the young eagles.
Jill and I were able to add RB Nuthatch, Rusty Blackbird, Long-eared Owl, 
to our Chili Challenge list this weekend -we now have 62; Ned's team (Aves 
Confuseus) was able to add both N. Pintail and GW Teal [among others] for a 
total of 54 to date.
Cheers
Dave