[Bristol-Birds] heron spp. nests, NE TN update

     Last Sunday, 11 DEC 2005, Rob Biller and I discovered three nests in 
Elizabethton, Carter Co., TN which I believe are Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 
nests.  They are between Race Dr. and the Watauga River, 36.3563 N, 82.2202 W, 
and across the river from the Moose Lodge on Lovers Lane.  They are visible now 
from both sides of the river, on Race Dr. and Lovers Lane.  They are probably 
not visible through the foliage in the growing season from the Moose Lodge on 
Lovers Lane, because I looked for nests there unsuccessfully last summer when I 
saw Yellow-crowned Night-Herons foraging in the river there.  They may be 
visible in the growing season from Race Dr., I suspect.  
     Last Wednesday, 14 DEC 2005, Dianne Draper and I observed the Great Blue 
Heron nesting colony near Fort Patrick Henry Dam in Sullivan Co., TN.  I was 
amazed to count 43 nests.  My memory is imprecise, but I believe I counted 
quite a bit fewer nests last spring.  I think I read somewhere that the number 
of nests needed to classify a colony as "significant" is 25 nests.
     While there we also saw four adult Black-crowned Night-Herons that were 
perched on the rocky river bank between the dam and the Hwy 36 bridge.
 
Don Holt
Johnson City, TN

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