[va-bird] Great Blue heron rookery in Washington Co.

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

A small Great Blue Heron rookery has been located in the south edge of 
Damascus, Washington County, Va. It was first reported 2 April by town resident 
and birder Tom Horsch.

I was at the site 3 April and saw about 12 nests. There could
be more. It is difficult to see the backside of the ridge and nests that may
be hidden by tall pines.  Don Holt and Dianne Draper made an independent count 
the same day and have reported the same number of nests.  Most of the nests are 
in White Pines on a low ridge within site of Beaverdam Stream.

Southwest Virginia's first nests of the Great Blue were located across town
on 20 June 1998 by Ron Carrico and Rob Biller. The site was active for two or 
three years.

The numbers of heronries are increasing throughout the Upper Tennessee River 
drainage in Southwest Virginia.  Rookeries have been active at at Saltville and 
Big Stone.

The Holston River system drains several Southwest Virginia counties east of 
Clinch Mountain and north to include Smyth County.  The Saltville heronry is on 
the North Fork Holston while the Damascus nests are in the South Fork Holston 
drainage.  We have not found a rookery in the Middle Fork Holston drainage.  

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <thorsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2005 8:10 AM
Subject: [Bristol-Birds] Great Blue Heron rookery in Damascus


> Hello Bristol Birders,
>
>  I haven't seen mention of the Great Blue Heron nests in Damascus off
> Shady Ave.
>
> If you are heading away from Damascus on Shady Ave toward Shady Valley,
> there are at least 2 nests visible, high in the pines to the left,
> across from the old Dye-Plant property. The nests with birds sitting in
> them are easily visible with the naked eye from the road. Not sure how
> many nests are in the area, but I frequently see several Great Blues
> flying to and from this area at dusk.
>
> If someone wants to investigate, I'd be happy to go or point them in the
> direction.
>
>
> Thomas Horsch
> Damascus, VA
>

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[va-bird] Great Blue heron rookery in Washington Co.