FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Great Blue Heronry at Phipps Bend

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Friday (1/20), while conducting field observations of beaver work at Meadowview 
Marsh, Kingsport, Sullivan Co., Chris O'Bryan and I flushed a Wilson's Snipe.  
The species seems to be scarce this winter in the region.

For the most part, we were just a few hours behind Rick Phillips as we worked 
down stream along the South Fork Holston River and then along the Holston River 
well into Hawkins County.

We picked up Phillip's report of the Spotted Sandpiper and birds at Phipps Bend 
online in the library at the East Tennessee State University -- Kingsport 
Center.  

Kim Stroud had a few minutes to spare at the Kingsport Center and took us on a 
walk in her biology lab.  She also took time to talk courses and other aspects 
of college that Chris found worthwhile.   We were particularly amazed at the 
small bird skin collection and other specimens that evidently date to Dr. Fred 
Alsop's earlier years at ETSU-Kingsport.

On the backside of Phipps Bend, across the river from the original construction 
efforts for the nuclear power plant site, we found two tall sycamore trees 
which were hosting a heronry of about 15 nests.  No birds were present but we 
felt sure Don Miller would like this information for his research on birds in 
Hawkins and other counties of the region.  I don't remember any reports of this 
rookery in recent years.  It mertis followup this spring.

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN