I watched a group of 500 blackbirds working the fields around my house (13588 CH 4 Carey, Ohio) yesterday (4-6PM). I was showing my boys how to pick out grackles, red wings (male and female), cowbirds, and others. In sorting through them at close distance I discovered at least 2 Brewer's blackbirds (male). I also heard but never located Rusty blackbirds. This was a great chance for a Blackbird 101 class. There were also the expected Starlings in the group but were mostly Red-winged blackbirds. The group was there this morning when I went to work. There was also a pair of Killdeer who I have heard there regularly since December. There has to be food in this field (grain, insects, or something else. I had a cool close look at a Long-eared owl Sunday at Springville Marsh courtesy of a tip from Ron Minard and Tom Bartlett. Eric Mullholand Social Studies Teacher CEA President Student Council Advisor ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]