I just saw a gigantic flock of Horned Larks and Snow Buntings at the Stearns Farm on Stearns Road in Mansfield. They were in the cornfield across the road from the barns, more or less in front of the small pond. They were spread out over a distance of about 100 yards. Trying to get a count was impossible but I estimate there were 400 to 500 birds or more, perhaps 300 to 400 Horned Larks and 50 to 100 Snow Buntings. I didnt have my scope and it was after 4 PM so if anything else was mixed in I couldn't see them. There is a road that goes into the field to the right, which was partially bare, and many of the birds moved to the bare spot and were apparently picking at the gravel. There is a pile of what looks like frozen manure to the left of that road and the birds were all over that. By far the most I have ever seen of those birds. Don Morgan Coventry **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital.(http://www.aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000027)

The gigantic flock was still there this afternoon foraging on the pile of manure...yummmm. I will admit that I couldn't really tell that they were horned larks... Even with my scope, they just looked like brown lumps on brown manure. I sat for quite a while in the car watching, then drove further down the road only to have the entire flock fly to where I had just been parked! Another car came along and they flew back to the manure. Jo-Anne Mansfield Center On 1/20/09 5:05 PM, "Mntncougar@aol.com" <Mntncougar@aol.com> wrote: > > > > > I just saw a gigantic flock of Horned Larks and Snow Buntings at the > Stearns Farm on Stearns Road in Mansfield. They were in the cornfield > across the road from the barns, more or less in front of the small > pond. They were spread out over a distance of about 100 yards. Trying > to get a count was impossible but I estimate there were 400 to 500 > birds or more, perhaps 300 to 400 Horned Larks and 50 to 100 Snow > Buntings. I didnt have my scope and it was after 4 PM so if anything > else was mixed in I couldn't see them. There is a road that goes into > the field to the right, which was partially bare, and many of the birds > moved to the bare spot and were apparently picking at the gravel. > There is a pile of what looks like frozen manure to the left of that > road and the birds were all over that. By far the most I have ever > seen of those birds. > Don Morgan > Coventry > > > > > **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's > capital.(http://www.aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000027) > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for > the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit > http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org >