FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Great Blue Herons on Butcher Fork

[Bill Cawood <b_cawood@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have seen some traffic on the BBC about GBH.  I have been monitoring a colony 
near Big Stone Gap on Butcher's Fork.  The rookery is composed of two groups of 
nests a few dozen meters apart situated in a stand of tall trees (mostly yellow 
poplar) on a dry ridge above the small feeder stream to the South Fork Powell 
River.  
I saw some activity on February 25.  This is in line with the last 4 years of 
monitoring.  I had thought that the Eastern set of nests were defunct but I 
observed 4-8 birds standing on the nests in that section (the older section).
3 years ago I saw 17 birds flying in a unique formation along the broad bottom 
below the rookery.  A most inspiring and awesome sight.

On Saturday, March 4 I oberved 3 black vultutres feeding on a carcass beside 
rte 58.  I approached within a few meters as the birds fed beside the roaring 
traffic.  The ignored me.  This is the closest I have ever observed black 
vultures.
I also saw 3 red tail hawks.  One was being mobbed by crows and jays.  I have 
never seen such cooperative behavior between corvids..  
Today I saw 3 turkey vultures soaring over my yard.

Bill Cawood, Big Stone Gap, VA

----- Original Message ----
From: Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: Bristol-birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, March 5, 2006 8:15:17 PM
Subject: [Bristol-Birds] Great Blue Herons on the North Fork Holston

      Don't believe we have had a report this spring on the status  of the 
Great Blue Heron nesting colony on the North Fork Holston River at  Saltville, 
VA.
  
 Since the herons are nesting that far up the river from  Kingsport,  I wonder 
what might be in between.  
  
 So today I started in Hawkins County at Kingsport, TN and  searched the North 
Fork Holston throughout Scott County, VA and into Washington  County, VA to 
Mendota.
  
 I did not see a Great Blue nor any evidence of nesting.   
  
 For that matter,  I did not see a single waterbird I can  recall or any 
species worthy of note.  It was a dry run.
  
 I hope someone will post the status of the colony at Saltville  and maybe even 
Damascus, VA.
  
 I did look at Michelle King's Great Horned Owl nest and Rick  Phillip's new 
Netherland Inn rookery of Great Blue Herons at Kingsport.   Both of these are 
excellent discoveries.
 So is the horned owl nest at Muddy Creek !
  
 Let's go birding.....
  
 Wallace Coffey
 Bristol, TN