FreeLists / bristol-birds / [bristol-birds] Heron Rookery at Saltville, VA

[Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I had a message from Helen Barbrow of Saltville
reporting that the Great Blue Herons  are back at
their nest on the North Holston River.  She says
they were spotted a couple of weeks ago.  

The species nested at the same location in
Smyth Co., VA last season.  

This is the second known nesting site of Great
Blue Herons in Southwest Virginia.  The other
rookery, located in Washington County along
Government Road at Damascus, has been
active since the breeding season of 1998.
Tom Horsch reports that herons are again
present at that site.

The North Fork Holston nests were found on
March 10, 2001 in a sycamore about 75
feet above the river near the McCready's
Gap area.  Helen Barbrow took Linda
Hodgson to see it the next day.

Great Blue Herons invaded the Upper Holston
River watershed about a decade ago, first
with the Clay Island rookery on the Holston
River in Hawkins Co., TN and then moved 
into the South Fork Holston drainage.

There are no nests known from the Watauga
Rive drainage of the Upper Holston.

Two nests  with 4 adults was found in
mid- Apr 1996 below South Holston Dam 
near the river in Sullivan Co.

Following the 1998 discovery at Damascus,
another rookery with many nests was found
near Darter's Store and U.S. 421 in Holston
Valley, Sullivan Co., TN.  On Monday, Feb.
25, Tom Horsch and I found that rookery
again occupied by Great Blues at their
nests.

Keep your eyes open as we continue to
trace this invasion in the region.  Be sure
and post your findings.

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN 

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