FreeLists / bristol-birds / [bristol-birds] Re: Vulture roost

["Marion Finucane" <marion@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

hmmm, maybe the job corp kids are knocking each other off?

-----Original Message-----
From: bristol-birds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bristol-birds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Todd V. Eastin
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 12:54 PM
To: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bristol-birds] Vulture roost


Over the last several months, I have observed a significant number of
vultures congregating in the vicinity of the Jacobs Creek Job Corp.(Sullivan
Co. near South Holston Lake)  I work early mornings there several times a
week.  My observations of the birds have always been at daybreak as they
come off their roosts on a pine ridge just to the west of the entrance to
the JC.  On fair days, they generally flap a few strokes coming off the
roost and then glide in a straight line, one at a time, in a northerly
direction.  Sometimes they land again in trees just across Denton Valley Rd.
from the pine ridge, but other times I don't know where they end up.  But
through the winter they consistently head north in a straight line on fair
days.  I had estimated their number at 35-60.

Last week during unsettled weather, cloudy with drizzle, instead of the
usual linear flight they were circling and would alternately land in tree
tops and take off again.  The majority of them were turkey vultures but
black ones were also present in significant numbers.  They seemed to be as
unsettled as the weather.  On that particular day I did not see them when
they first came off the roosts, but in looking overhead was amazed to see
several circling groups at various elevations ranging from just above the
tree tops to several hundred feet.  I estimated there were 150 individuals.
This morning, the weather being fair, they headed north from the roost in
their usual linear flight.  A number of them settled again in the trees
across the road, perhaps to enjoy a better position for basking in the
morning sun.

Todd Eastin
Shady Valley (Johnson Co.) TN

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*************************************************
       BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST

This is a regional birding list sponsored by the
Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications 
between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia
and Northeast Tennessee.  It serves the Russell County
Bird Club, Herndon Chapter TOS, Greeneville TOS 
Chapter, Blue Ridge Birders Club, Butternut Nature
Club, Buchanan County Bird Club, Bristol Bird Club,
Clinch Valley Bird Club and Cumberland Nature Club.
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You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds.
To post to this mailing list, simply send an email
to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send
an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
--------------------------------------------------
       Wallace Coffey, Moderator
         jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx
           (423)764-3958