[TN-Bird] Percy Priest Rookeries
- From: Scott Somershoe <Scott.Somershoe@xxxxxx>
- To: TN-Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2013 01:53:14 +0000
I made a couple trips in the last week to rookeries on Percy Priest Lake. A
couple notes:
Lamar Hill area rookery (Rutherford Co.) on 31 May 13
Only about 12 cormorant nests (plus some great blues), but over 175 flighted
cormorants in the area. Many adults and juveniles (160 in one group on the
water with more still on nests), while nests had incubating adults or large
unfledged young. No cormorants nested here last year as the water was very low
and the island was connected to the main land until late in the breeding
season. However in 2010, this island had comparable number of cormorant nests.
Just many more birds in the area this year.
Pear Island, Davidson Co. (off Long Hunter SP), 3 June 13
Cormorant numbers continue to rise with about 65 active nests seen (similar
number of nests to the last 2 years). I saw a group of at least 180 birds on
the water together, plus 70+ birds still in the rookery! Lots of juveniles
around, plus dozens upon dozens of unfledged young in nests. Some cormorants
were incubating as well.
While trying to count nests and dodge flying regurgitated fish and poop, I
found a cattle egret head and vertebrae. After one hour, I only had the dead
cattle egret. As I paddled away, I saw 5 live adult cattle egrets. In 2010, I
only found a dead cattle egret, so some live ones were nice.
In 2009, this site had 20 pairs of cormorants and 220+ pairs of great blues. I
saw only 10 great blue nests today and all were deeper into the island and not
in traditional nesting trees. All trees formerly used exclusively by great
blues are now almost exclusively used by cormorants. A couple big nest trees
have fallen since 2009 and one other big cottonwood has died since last year
(and it has 8 cormorant nests in it).
At least 3 Great Egrets were also present, among 150+ black-crowned
night-herons.
Stinky birding,
Scott Somershoe
State Ornithologist
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
P.O. Box 40747
Nashville, TN 37204
615-781-6653 (office)
615-781-6654 (fax)
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