[TN-Bird] Great Blue Heron Rookeries, Chattanooga

Great Blue Heron Rookeries
Brainerd Levee,  Chattanooga, TN,   3/27/03

There are at least 4 Great Blule Heron rookeries along Chackamauga Creek near 
Brainerd Levee.  Two may be less well known, since they are relatively new and 
not visible from the levee. 

Beginning with the largest and oldest:

1.    Across the creek from where mile marker 1.6 used to be, (where a gravel 
road goes down from the levee past a portable toilet and out to Brainerd High 
School): Today there were 8 nests, 7 with one heron each.

2.    Across the creek and north about 0.2 miles from the corner of the levee 
near mile 0.4 marker former location: Today there were at least 6 nests, at 
least 3 with 1 heron each.

The other 2 newer rookeries are along the Vulcan nature trail. To get there 
leave the levee near the 0.4 marker and walk north about one-half mile on a 
mowed strip 40 ft wide along the pipeline; you will come to a circular gravel 
nature trail.  

3.    Right on the nature trail, perhaps a half mile.  Across the creek there 
are 2 large airport buildings with lots of cars.  An Indian marker tree 
(z-shaped trunk where a sapling was bent over and one of the branches became 
the new vertical trunk) is close to the rookery, which may be hard to locate 
when the leaves are out.  There were 3 nests with 1 heron each, in a Sycamore 
tree on the trail side of the creek.

4.    Continue around the trail.  New Airport Road will be just across the 
creek, plenty of traffic.  Stop where there are 4 utility poles close together 
and look across the creek, 1 live and 1 dead Sycamore tree:  4 small new 
looking nests, 3 with 1 heron each.

A 5th rookery is located below Chickamauga Dam near a small control building.  
Until about 3 years ago there were many nests (20 - 25?) on the power towers.  
TVA cleaned them off the towers (during nesting!) but a few are now located in 
nearby trees.


David Patterson
Chattanooga

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