Highlights among birds seen this morning in Norwich included
a) 5 Wood Ducks and a dispersed flock of 40 American Robins near Pompy  
Farms,
b) 7 Green-winged Teal at Pompy, and
c) a Great Blue Heron, an estimated 200 American Crows, and 5 Horned  
Larks along Campbell Flats Road.

The small flock of Horned Larks arose from a sizable field containing  
corn stubble with interspersed bare ground in many parts. The larks  
repeatedly gave characteristic vocalizations while in a circuitous  
flight, eventually gained altitude above the level of tree tops along  
the southern and western edges of the field, and then flew off out of  
sight in a southward direction.

A check of my past records for Norwich indicates that I've not  
previously had any sightings of Horned Larks within the town boundaries.

This morning's Great Blue Heron was perched high off the ground near  
the top of an apparently dead, tall, tree in close proximity to the  
field of corn stubble which is adjacent to the Ompompanoosuc River.  
Crows were widely scattered in trees and fields along Campbell Flats  
Road, with some dozens foraging at times in the corn stubble. On  
occasion, crows were flying in numerous directions, and a few of them  
flew fairly close to the perched heron which then waved its head about  
and spread its wings and flapped as though to ward off the crows. The  
crows did not appear to be especially antagonistic towards the heron,  
unlike the frequent aggression of crows on other occasions such as  
when encountering a buteo hawk.

George

George Clark
Norwich, VT

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