FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] New Great Blue rookery on Boone Lake

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

What is believed to be a newly-reported nesting colony of Great Blue Herons was 
discovered today on Boone Lake in Sullivan, Co., TN.  I first saw the nests 
while checking the area nesting population of Cliff Swallows.

To the best of my knowledge, it is the first known rookery of Great Blues found 
on Boone Lake.  A neighbor told me this is not the first year they've been 
there.  He said he remembers the nests in the spring of 2006 and maybe before.

At the left is a map showing the general location south of the mouth of Muddy 
Creek, off the tip of Wagner Bend, near TVA Point 9, between South Fork Holston 
River mile point 25 and 26.  This is 
downstream of DeVault Bridge. Most nest are on an island.

The map shows yellow spots to indicate 5 heron nests and the red spot the 
location of  a perched Double-crested Cormorant. I could
not find a cormorant's nest.  One of the nests is on the shoreline high up a 
ridge above the lake in a dead tree.  

All of the nests appeared to have two or three young nearly ready to leave the 
nests.  There was much wing flapping by the young birds.

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN